Tuebor
by Quatermass
Summary: Fleeing Redcoats through a stone circle wasn't a good idea. Now, Jamie McCrimmon, remembering his time with the Doctor, and stranded on another world filled with magic and madmen, finds himself drawn into a war where he will find a new cause to fight for: protecting the mysterious magic user known as Terra Branford. With an old friend, Jamie and Terra will fight for the future...
1. Foreword

**FOREWORD**

While I have done a plethora of Harry Potter crossovers and fics, the same cannot be said about my favourite franchise, _Doctor Who_. Indeed, the genesis of this crossover came when I had this weird notion of doing yet another crossover between Harry Potter and _Final Fantasy X_ where I would do some Harry and Lulu shipping (which may still happen, but not yet). I then had this weird notion of Jamie McCrimmon, my personal favourite male companion from _Doctor Who_ , ending up in Spira and hooking up with Lulu. But that didn't work out for me.

After a bit of thought, though, wondering which _Final Fantasy_ world Jamie would be best in, I decided on the world of _Final Fantasy VI_. And almost immediately, I thought of him being paired with Terra. The reason why is that she'll remind him of Victoria, whom he seemed to have a crush on, albeit a Victoria with magical powers. I also want him to regain his memories of travelling with the Doctor, as it was kind of a raw deal for him (and Zoe) to lose their memories when the Time Lords took them back home at the end of _The War Games_.

I'll also admit, I've taken a page out of the _Outlander_ series in introducing Jamie to this world. Then again, Diana Gabaldon was inspired by _Doctor Who_ (and Jamie McCrimmon in particular) to write the _Outlander_ novels. And the title, _Tuebor_ , means, in Latin, "I will protect", which sums up Jamie pretty well.

Anyway, time for the usual disclaimers. Firstly, spoilers ahoy for both _Doctor Who_ (particularly the early years, as well as a few of the Big Finish audios) and _Final Fantasy VI_.

Secondly, there will be heavy annotations, as is usual for my work. No bellyaching allowed.

Thirdly, this is an M-rated work, mostly for violence, and maybe some sexual references. You have been warned.

Finally, the following is a fan-written work. _Doctor Who_ and _Final Fantasy VI_ are the properties of their respective owners. Please support the official release. Otherwise, Jamie will come chasing you with a sword, screaming " _CREAG AN TUIRE!_ "…


	2. Chapter 1: The Highlander and the Witch

**CHAPTER 1:**

 **THE HIGHLANDER AND THE WITCH**

Sprawled on the rough-hewn floor of the cave, James Robert McCrimmon _remembered_.

Whatever this travel did to him, it had torn away the blocks the Time Lords had put on his memory like those sticky bandage things the Doctor, Victoria, or Zoe would put on his cuts. And while what was happening to him wasn't actually painful, it was nonetheless an unpleasant experience, re-assimilating all those memories.

He remembered the Macra, the Chameleons, the Daleks, the Cybermen, the Great Intelligence and its Yeti servants, the Ice Warriors, the Weed Creatures, the Krotons, and the Rosemariners(1). He remembered Ben and Polly, Victoria and Zoe, the Professors Travers (Edward and his daughter Anne), Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.

And of course, he remembered the Doctor. That funny little man who came from another world. The one who had taken him from 18th Century Scotland and the bloody aftermath of the Battle of Culloden, and shown him the universe. Teacher, mentor, father-figure, and friend. The man he had been torn away from.

Jamie snarled soft curses in Gaelic at the Time Lords. They had _stolen_ the memories of all of his travels with the Doctor. He only remembered, until now, that first meeting in Scotland. They had robbed him of a reason to fight, to help stop the suffering in the universe.

As Jamie sat up and looked around the dim cave, he wondered where he was. Travelling with the Doctor meant that he knew there were other worlds out there, with a lot of strange beasts on them. So when he saw the strange hybrid of a serpent and eagle frozen in a massive block of ice nearby, he only started briefly. _Must be some kind of alien_ , Jamie mused. _Am I still on Earth?_

Wherever he was, he was probably not in Scotland anymore, though it felt almost as cold as the Highlands winter he had just departed. He shouldn't have run into that stone circle, he reflected ruefully. Those things were to be avoided. And judging by the fact that there weren't any Redcoats in the cave with him, they had had more sense too. Or maybe they saw him vanishing.

Of course, he didn't quite believe in magic, not anymore. He'd become a little more rational, though he still had some superstitions. What brought him here was probably not the magic of the _aos sìth_ , unless they were aliens or something(2). Maybe it was something like T-Mat?

He suddenly heard the tramping of massive feet, and the whir of machinery. Then, he heard shouts, screaming, and a strange, eldritch growl that sent shivers down his spine. Then, strange noises that reminded him of the blasters and energy weapons he had encountered on his travels with the Doctor. One sounded uncomfortably like the distinctive crackle of a Dalek blast. Then, after a time, silence, broken only by someone saying in the distance, "Right. Now that that's over with, let's secure the Esper."

Hearing the heavy tread of massive feet and machinery working once more, and heading his way, Jamie decided to head behind a rock to hide. As much as he was willing to fight, he also knew that energy weapons were a bad idea, and he didn't like the sound of what was coming.

He watched as a trio of mechanical beasties entered the cave, ridden by people. Two were clearly soldiers, and he didn't like the look of them. However, it was the third rider who caught his attention. It was a lass about his age, beautiful, and with green hair and eyes. She was wearing some strange coronet, and he scowled when he saw her expression. He knew the signs of brainwashing and mind control, having seen it done to friends and foes. He remembered Ben being brought under the control of the Macra, Maxtible being overwritten by the Dalek Factor (and the Doctor faking the same thing), people controlled by the Cybermen, the puppets of the Great Intelligence like Padamasambhava, Travers, and Arnold, and so many others.

The poor lass was under a spell.

He suppressed the urge to charge out there and try and free her from the mind-control. If these things could fire energy blasts…

"There it is," one of the soldiers remarked as he looked at the creature frozen in the ice. "Hard to believe that there's been a frozen Esper found in some arse-end backwater like Narshe."

"How do we get it back, Wedge?"

"We tow it out with the Magitek Armour," Wedge, the soldier who had spoken first, said. But then, the lass, who seemed to have a strange expression on her formerly blank face, approached the frozen creature in her strange armour. "Hey, what are you doing, witch?" he demanded.

"The Esper…it calls to me," she murmured. Suddenly, blue light flared from the Esper (if that was the name of the frozen creature), and the two soldiers in their mechanical beasties vanished with a scream.

Bathed in the azure light, the girl convulsed and spasmed, and with a strangled scream, she toppled out of the mechanical beastie she had been riding. Jamie rushed out, and cradled her as she convulsed. "Stop it!" he yelled at the Esper.

 _She will be fine_ , a voice spoke into his head, deep and resonant. _Remove the Slave Crown from her head, Jamie McCrimmon_.

"How'd you know my…och, never mind," Jamie muttered, gently plucking the coronet, presumably the Slave Crown, from her forehead. The lass spasmed briefly, and then slumped, apparently unconscious.

 _She will wake in time, but the Slave Crown has given her amnesia. She has forgotten much of her past_.

"Like me," Jamie muttered.

 _Indeed. We are not just on another world, Jamie McCrimmon, but in another universe far from your own. Long ago, your ancestors came here, before the War of the Magi. Yes, here, there is magic, though your friend the Doctor would call it something like psionic power. Differing words for the same thing, the imposition of will upon reality. A shame I could not have met him. It would have been interesting speaking to one like him_.

"D'you mind not going through my head, like some thief going through someone's house?" Jamie said with a scowl.

 _My apologies. Someone will be here soon to help Terra, the girl you wish to protect. She is one of the few capable of using magic in this world anymore. Already, she has been exploited. Do you want to protect her?_

"Of course I do!"

 _Then do so, Jamie McCrimmon. My name is Valigarmanda. We will meet again, I am sure_.

* * *

The man who came to them was an older man with a moustache called Arvis. Arvis was confused at where Jamie had come from, but couldn't mistake the protective nature of the young man. After persuading Jamie he didn't want to do Terra any harm, Arvis helped Jamie bring the unconscious Terra back to his house, and back into the warmth, frankly.

Arvis asked many questions, most of them pertaining to where Jamie came from. Jamie denied that he came from the Gestahl Empire or the Returners (whatever those were). He did say he was a Jacobite, but that merely confused Arvis. However, Arvis got the hint that Jamie just wanted to help the girl, though he was surprised that the frozen Esper had, somehow, spoken to Jamie.

 _Och, what I wouldn't give to have the Doctor here_ , Jamie thought. _He'd probably cobble something together to help the lass, probably take her with us in the TARDIS. She's so beautiful. Okay, green hair's not exactly natural, and they called her a witch, but the Doctor was an alien. We met a few friendly aliens anyway. Anyway, she could be a white witch_.

A groan emitted from the girl's lips, and her eyes flickered open, fixing on Jamie's. "Uhhh…where am I?"

"Steady on, lass, you're safe," Jamie said. "They had something called a Slave Crown on you. You're in some town called Narshe."

Arvis came around, cradling the Slave Crown. "This young man removed it from you. He said your name was Terra."

"Terra?" For a moment, it seemed unfamiliar to the girl, before her eyes widened. "Yes, it is! My name is Terra Branford, and I…" She blinked. "I…don't remember."

"Amnesia," Arvis opined. "I only know of a few cases where Slave Crowns were used. Every time they were removed, there was memory loss. Her memories will come back, in time. It's impressive that she remembers her name, though."

Suddenly, there was the sound of dogs barking, and a pounding at the door. "Open up, Arvis!" yelled one man. "Hand over the Magitek Armour pilot! She's one of the Empire's soldiers!"

Arvis looked at Jamie and Terra. "You two had better get out of here. They're not going to listen to reason, but I might be able to stall them. Make your way out of the town through the mines. I'll send someone after you by the name of Locke Cole, to make sure you're safe. You can't miss him. Blue bandanna on his head, blue vest and trousers. Now, get going!" He indicated the back door.

Jamie helped Terra to her feet, and began rushing with her out of the backdoor. Soon, they were out the back of the house, running along a causeway just above a town. Jamie cursed softly when he heard a shout: they had been spotted. They fled together into the mines.

* * *

"Why are you helping me?" Terra asked. They had stopped to rest briefly, deep within the mines. "Who are you?"

There was something about the girl's mildly timid demeanour that reminded him a little of Victoria. He remembered when he first met Victoria, held hostage by the Daleks. The Doctor manipulated Jamie into rescuing her, while he did an experiment. Jamie had been very angry with the Doctor, believing him to be a callous collaborator with the Daleks, and only the realisation that the Doctor had been trying to trick the Daleks, and had trusted Jamie with rescuing Victoria, helped. She had been their travelling companion for so long when her father died saving the Doctor, only to decide to settle down in Earth in the 20th Century. She had become sick and tired of being scared all the time on their adventures, but her decision to leave hurt Jamie.

Terra had that same air, the air of someone Jamie wanted to protect with his life. And she was cut adrift in the world, without memories. He knew the feeling, having only just regained his memories that the Time Lords had locked away.

"Well, I'm James Robert McCrimmon," Jamie said. "Call me Jamie. As for why, well, I dinnae want to see a pretty lass like yourself get caught. Especially after I saw someone had you under a spell. That Slave Crown thing, I mean. Besides, I used to do a lot of this sort of thing. Save people, even worlds."

"Worlds?"

"A long story. Let's just say this isn't my first time being chased through dark, rocky caverns."

She looked askance at him, before they suddenly heard shouts. Their pursuers had found them. Worse, the bastards had managed to corner them both.

Jamie and Terra backed into a corner, Jamie's hand on his sword. "Surrender the witch!" one of the guards snarled.

"I'm nae gonna let you get your hands on the lass!" Jamie snarled back. "She was under someone else's control, you Sassenachs!"

"She's a soldier of the Gestahl Empire, she's an enemy!" another one yelled. "And she fried two of my friends!"

"The only way you're gonna get her is over _my dead body_ ," Jamie snarled at them.

"So be it," the first guard said. But before he could do anything, Terra and Jamie felt the rocky floor of the cave give way beneath them.

Fortunately or unfortunately, this wasn't Jamie's first time falling to an uncertain fate, especially in a cave. He remembered that time being chase by Caven's space pirates in the mines of Ta. Thankfully, they weren't falling far, and, holding onto Terra, Jamie rolled, somewhat inexpertly, but enough to prevent them from getting injured beyond him getting a mildly twisted ankle, as well as both of them getting a few bruises.

He helped Terra to her feet, grunting in pain with his twisted ankle. Terra's eyes widened. "You're hurt," she said.

"Only a bit. I've had worse." Getting shot in the leg by the goons of Tobias Vaughn was certainly worse.

Terra knelt down, examining his ankle, before she gently touched it, her hands glowing. " _Cure_ ," she intoned. Suddenly, the pain and swelling went away instantly, as did the bruises and cuts from earlier.

Jamie's eyes were wide. "They were right. You _are_ a witch!" As a look of fear came across her face, he hurriedly added, "Hey, I can live with that! As long as you're not a bad witch, I'll stay with you! Anyway, you seem like a nice lass anyway."

"…Okay. But why do you have that weird way of talking?"

"Me? I'm not talking weird! I'm a Scot!"

Terra blinked. "I thought you said your name was Jamie?"

"Of course it is. My people are the Scots! I…och, never mind," Jamie said. "Thanks for healing up my leg, Terra. I'm grateful."

Terra smiled. "You're not afraid of me?"

"Believe me, Terra, I've seen weirder things than magic. As long as you're not my enemy, I'm fine."

Terra nodded, before she flinched, clutching her head. She waved off his concern. "Sorry, I just…just remembered. Getting that Slave Crown put onto my head. By some guy who looks like a clown, but he's more like a devil. Kefka…his name was Kefka. He made me kill some soldiers…burning them with fire while he laughs. Like it's all a big joke. And then, there was some old man in a beard and rich robes…Emperor Gestahl…he's making a speech with his generals to his army…that they're going to use magic…to conquer the world."

"Och, another madman who wants to rule the world," Jamie groaned. "Are you okay now?"

Terra nodded, taking her hand away. "Yeah. I've got a splitting headache, and a raging fear of clowns. Other than that, I'm fine. But how are we going to get out of here?"

"I can help!" Suddenly, from the hole in the ceiling which they dropped through, someone else did so. Jamie nearly skewered the man, but restrained himself. Especially once he took in the man's appearance, as he was wearing a blue bandanna, trousers and vest. His looks were roguishly handsome, but there was a genuine concern in those eyes. "The name's Locke."

"Locke Cole?" When the man nodded, Jamie said, "So Arvis sent you?"

"Yes. Locke Cole, treasure hunter extraordinaire."

"You look like a professional thief," Jamie snarked.

"I _prefer_ the term 'treasure hunter'. I'm guessing you're Jamie," Locke said with a light scowl. He turned to Terra. "So, you must be Terra."

"That's right. Is Arvis all right?"

"He's fine. Once you were spotted fleeing, the guards left his home. Narshe's militia is still searching these caves for you," Locke said, becoming serious. "I followed them, and found them leaving that hole I dropped through. But they'll be looking to cut you guys off."

"Perfect," Jamie muttered. "Are we gonna have to fight our way out?"

"I guess so." Suddenly, there was a shout from the other side of the cave. Jamie, Terra, and Locke all looked that way, and saw a small mass of guards and trained animals readying themselves. "Oh, this is going to get ugly. That's the only way out."

Jamie indicated a cave opening behind them. "What about that way?"

"It leads to our home, _kupo!_ "

The high-pitched voice was unexpected, as was the source, which waddled out, accompanied by nearly a dozen similar versions. Jamie gaped at what looked like a short bear with snow-white fur, a red pom-pom-like thing hanging from an antenna on their head, and purple, bat-like wings on their backs. "Moogles!" Terra gasped.

"…Gesundheit?" Jamie offered.

"They're Moogles. Magical creatures," Locke explained.

"Oh, aye?" Jamie said. He often said that when he didn't quite understand the explanation, usually to something the Doctor said.

"We'll help out, _kupo!_ " the Moogle leader chirped. "We may be small, but we're good at fighting!"

Jamie sighed. Well, they needed all the help they could get. Even so, here he was, helping a thief defend a witch, with the help of ridiculously cute creatures who even now were bringing out spears and flails.

Some of the adventures he had had with the Doctor were worse. Even so, Jamie found himself wishing the Time Lord was here…

 **CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **And here you have it, the first chapter of a new crossover. Hope you enjoy it. This will be one of my more experimental stories, so updates will be slow. Hope this makes a change from my usual crossovers, which usually entails inserting Harry Potter into 'X' franchise…**

 **1\. While most of those would be familiar to anyone with enough knowledge of the Troughton era, the Rosemariners only appeared in a story originally intended for the series, but never actually made. However,** ** _The Rosemariners_** **was eventually turned into an audio story for Big Finish, and it's one of the better Troughton stories ever done in any medium.**

 **2\. This is where I'm taking off from** ** _Outlander_** **, obviously. And I've tried to get the right term in Scottish Gaelic for the Fair Folk (aka elves, fairies, and particularly the darker kind that you'd see in a Neil Gaiman work).**


	3. Chapter 2: King Edgar

**CHAPTER 2:**

 **KING EDGAR**

Twenty minutes later, Jamie, Terra, and Locke were stumbling out of a secret entrance to the mines. They'd managed to prevail against the Narshe soldiers, with the help of the Moogles (who had returned to their own homes in the mines), and Terra's magic. As Locke shut the secret entrance, he looked over at Jamie and Terra. "You're pretty handy in a fight, both of you. I don't think I've ever heard an accent like yours, though, Jamie."

"I'm Scottish!" Jamie snapped indignantly, before adding, "Though you may not know what a Scot is." He looked over at Locke, before admitting, "I don't come from this world. I come from another. I somehow ended up in those mines, near that frozen beastie, the Esper. Called himself Valigarmanda."

"It talked?" Locke demanded.

"Aye, into my head. Y'know, telepathy. I dinnae like that," Jamie said. "I've had too many Sassenachs poke around in my head before. The upshot is, I've been in weirder situations than this." A nasty thought occurred to him. "You've never heard of Daleks? Or Cybermen?"

"Can't say I have," Locke said. "Judging by your tone, they're not exactly nice, right?"

"Aye. Daleks are metal beasties, like a pepperpot, but they can fire energy beams like that Magitek Armour could. Go around screaming 'EXTERMINATE!' Cybermen turn people into metal monsters like themselves, with no feelings."

"They sound horrible," Terra murmured.

"Aye, they are." Jamie looked over at Locke. "Arvis said you were gonna take us somewhere safe. Where's that?"

"Figaro Castle, in the desert south of here," Locke said. "King Edgar is nominally allied with the Gestahl Empire, but he secretly supports the Returners. He'll be able to give you two shelter until we can decide what to do."

Jamie scowled. A king supporting one side while pretending to support another? That didn't bode well at all…

* * *

Locke didn't know exactly what to make of Jamie McCrimmon. His accent, while not unlike a couple he had encountered during his travels, was nonetheless different. And while he didn't know whether to believe Jamie's tales of having come from another world, the young man didn't seem to be deceiving him.

Locke frowned as he observed Jamie, who was sticking close to Terra as they approached the edge of the Figaro Desert. He was dressed in a kilt, of all things, a relative rarity on this world. He had a shaggy mop of dark hair framing a boyishly handsome face, though there was something in his eyes that spoke of experience beyond his years.

Jamie looked at Locke. "How can we trust King Edgar?" he asked. "You said it yourself, he's playing both sides."

"No, I said he supports the Returners. He pays lip service to the Gestahl Empire, but he supplies little more than scholars and diplomacy. The Returners he gives funds and weapons," Locke said. "He's also a personal friend of mine." He looked over at Jamie. "Let me tell you a story about him. He had a twin brother, Sabin, who was dedicated to the study of martial arts. But their father died of a sudden illness. Some thought it poisoning by the Empire, as he overtly opposed Gestahl. And there was debate over the succession."

"Between twins? Did they fight over it?" Jamie asked.

"No. Neither of them wanted the throne, but Edgar offered to settle it based on a coin toss. He knew Sabin would prefer to continue his martial arts training. So he used a double-headed coin. He took a throne he hated, so his brother could have his freedom to study martial arts." Locke gave Jamie a look. "I know you'll think of him as someone who tricked his twin out of the throne, but I've known him for years."

"If he proves he's with the Returners, then I'm all for it. I was part of the Jacobites. Fighting to help my people against tyranny. But I've travelled too long with the Doctor to not get a bit of what he'd call scepticism." Jamie seemed to sag. And Locke realised that the young man missed whoever this Doctor was.

"Didn't this Doctor guy have a name?"

"He never told me it. When we first met, he mimicked a German and called himself 'Doctor von Wer', and he's used other names, but I don't know his real name. When we first picked up Victoria, he said he was 450 years old," Jamie said. "Didn't look older than his forties, though. The thing is, he could apparently change his appearance when he's dying. Ben and Polly told me they saw it happen after they first encountered the Cybermen, he used to look really old. I met a later version of the Doctor. Tall, with blonde curly hair, and dressed in an appalling coat. It was like a rainbow had the bloody flux(1)."

"So he wasn't human?" Terra asked.

"Och, no," Jamie said, shaking his head. "He was from another world, called Gallifrey(2). But he knows how to get into trouble, and more importantly, out of it."

Locke laughed. "Sounds like my sort of guy."

* * *

Figaro Castle, Jamie had to admit, was an impressive sight. But he got the feeling that the castle wasn't just a palace for King Edgar to reside in, nor a stronghold to fight off enemies. After travelling with the Doctor, he got an instinct for discerning function in things, even if he couldn't discern what that function was. And there was something about the castle that suggested some sort of power.

Locke led Jamie and Terra into the throne room of Figaro Castle, where a man lounged on one of the thrones, dressed in elegant blue clothing. His long blonde hair was tied back into a long ponytail, and his face was handsome, and often had a charming smile on it. Jamie, however, saw the man's eyes: they had an intelligence behind them, and if he wasn't mistaken, compassion. This was apparently King Edgar.

Locke left them standing in front of the throne, and then went up to Edgar, whispering something to the king. Edgar sat up straight, before eventually standing, and walking over to Jamie and Terra, the cape he wore brushing the opulent floor. "Forgive me," he said with a smile. "I shouldn't ignore guests." His eyes looked over to Terra. "Especially one as beautiful as you."

Jamie rolled his eyes, while Terra asked, "Are you King Edgar of Figaro?"

"Indeed. Locke told me that you are Terra Branford, and you are Jamie McCrimmon." Edgar looked at Jamie. "You are very welcome to rest here for a time. Both of you have had trying experiences."

Terra peered at his face. "Why are you being nice to me? Is it because of…my abilities?"

"Well, there's three reasons," Edgar said. "The first is that your divine beauty has ensnared my senses. The second is that I'm curious as to whether I'm your type. I guess your abilities would make it three."

Jamie snorted, stepping a little closer to Terra. He didn't like the way Edgar was flirting with Terra, and so clumsily. "You may be a king, but your silver tongue is a wee bit tarnished, Your Highness."

Edgar chuckled. "Yeah, I guess my technique's a bit rusty. But please, call me Edgar. I detest formality, save where diplomacy requires it." Edgar held out a hand to Jamie, who shook it, warily. "I'm still pleased to meet both of you. Now, we need to…"

"Your Majesty!" A guard rushed in. "There's an emissary from the Gestahl Empire approaching the castle! General Kefka and two men!"

Instantly, Edgar frowned. "Kefka? What could he possibly…?" He looked over at Terra, before he looked at his chancellor. "Take these two to the Panopticon. I want them to see this."

* * *

The Panopticon turned out to be some sort of surveillance room, where images from around the castle were projected within spheres. Edgar's chancellor had sat Jamie and Terra around one of these spheres, and they watched as Edgar and Kefka met.

Jamie noticed that when she saw Kefka, Terra emitted a squeak of fear. He remembered her mentioning the name before. But now, he finally got to see the man.

He remembered the hideous multi-coloured coat of the future Doctor he had met during that whole mess with Dastari, the Androgums, and the Sontarans. Kefka's clothes were not quite as clashing, but they seemed both colourful and sinister. And the man himself seemed more like a court jester than a general, with garish, clown-like makeup covering his thin, incisive features. Said features had a cruel mirth to them.

" _What brings General Kefka to my humble castle?_ " Edgar asked.

" _One of our soldiers, a deserter, made her way here. She has green hair, and is 18. The girl's of little importance, but she stole a trinket of some value_ ," Kefka said.

" _A girl with green hair?_ " Edgar asked. " _This wouldn't be the witch we've heard so many rumours about, is it?_ "

" _You shouldn't put stock in rumours, Edgar_ ," Kefka said. " _Is she here?_ "

Edgar chuckled. " _Well, there are more girls than there are grains of sand around here. I can't keep an eye on them all, green hair or not._ "

Kefka laughed himself, but it was a sinister, braying noise, filled only with malicious mirth. " _Edgar, we know you're lying. You have until tomorrow to hand her over, or Figaro Castle will see its last day._ "

" _Even with the treaty?_ " Edgar asked, acting as if the threat was a hollow one. " _Over one girl, who's of 'little importance'? Kefka, you go too far. Choose your words with care._ "

" _I have. As I said, Edgar, hand the girl over by tomorrow morning, or Figaro Castle will suffer the consequences._ " And with that, Kefka spun around, and left the castle, his escorts in tow.

Jamie scowled. "He'd do it anyway. That Sassenach is a lunatic." And he'd met more than his fair share of those. The one that sprang to mind most readily was Zaroff, the mad scientist who wanted to destroy the world, just because.

Terra shivered. Soon, Edgar and Locke entered. "Gestahl must truly think I'm part of the Returners if he's letting Kefka threaten me like that," Edgar said, scowling. "I think it's past time we broke ties with the Empire. We'll have Figaro Castle submerge when he attacks, and the four of us will head to the Returners' hideout."

"But I'm an Imperial soldier!" Terra protested.

"Unwillingly!" Locke snapped. "Did you want to kill those people in Narshe?"

Terra shook her head. "No!"

"Then come with us. The Returners could use all the help we can get," Edgar said, before he looked pointedly at Jamie.

Jamie scowled. "I go with Terra, to protect her. The Returners'll have to prove themselves."

Edgar nodded. "That's all I want from you, Jamie. Banon's the leader of the Returners. It's up to him to persuade the pair of you to help us. But we'll have to get ready to leave."

* * *

The next morning, Jamie stood next to Locke and Terra, on one of the battlements, watching in the early morning twilight as Kefka strolled up to Figaro Castle, along with his soldiers, and a couple of soldiers in Magitek Armour. With a scream of glee, Kefka hurled a fireball at the castle, and repeated the action, until parts of the castle were ablaze. Edgar rushed out. "Kefka! This is an outrage!"

"No, this is a _barbeque_ ," Kefka retorted. "Bring me the girl now, and maybe I'll extinguish the flames."

Edgar made a gesture, and his councillor walked inside. "I guess I have no choice in the matter." Suddenly, he ran for a rampart, and leapt onto a waiting Chocobo, a massive yellow bird that, Jamie learned, one rode like a horse.

As Edgar rode his Chocobo around the castle, Jamie heard Kefka sneer, "Oh, lookee here, the great King Edgar abandoning his people to save his worthless hide! How delightfully cowardly!"

Locke, Jamie, and Terra leapt onto their own waiting Chocobos just as Edgar passed nearby, and Edgar yelled, "START THE DIVE SEQUENCE!"

Jamie watched in awe as parts of the castle retracted, and then, the massive structure began sinking into the sand. Kefka ran from the castle just in time to avoid a premature (but not unwelcome) burial, but some of his soldiers weren't so lucky.

Kefka recovered just in time to yell at his Magitek Armour-riding soldiers, "BRING THE GIRL BACK ALIVE! SLAUGHTER THE REST!"

The mechanical armour was faster than the Chocobos. Jamie yelled, "Terra! Can you use one of your spells on them or something?"

Terra nodded, before pointing her hand back at them. Jamie, meanwhile, managed to steer his Chocobo into a U-turn, and as one of the riders of the Magitek Armour found his uniform set alight by Terra's spell, Jamie charged the other one, getting the Chocobo to dodge the energy blasts the desperate soldier was firing at him. "CREAG AN TUIRE!" Jamie screamed, his favourite warcry echoing around the desert.

As he went by, Jamie slashed at the neck of the rider of the Magitek Armour with his sword. Blood filled the air in a crimson fountain. Jamie felt little remorse. The man was gunning for him and the others. He then rushed at the other rider, who was beating out the fire Terra had set using her spell, and stabbed him in the heart.

Jamie then looked back the way he came, where Kefka, in the distance, was hopping around angrily. "SON OF A SANDWORM!" he screeched. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" In a flare of blue light, he vanished.

* * *

As they rode their Chocobos to a cave that would take them to South Figaro, Edgar looked at Jamie. "Your skills in mounted combat are impressive, Jamie. Even against a Magitek Armour and its rider. That was somewhat reckless, though."

"It worked," Jamie said. "Thanks, Terra, for distracting one with your magic."

Terra smiled, albeit nervously. "You're welcome."

As they reached the cave and dismounted, Edgar shook his head. "I still can't get over the fact that Terra has magic."

"They are natural to me," Terra said.

"Yes, but no human, as far as we know, has innate magic," Edgar said. Noticing Terra's crestfallen face, he said, "My apologies. Clearly, you have magic, and it doesn't make you any less of a person, in my eyes anyway."

"Or mine," Jamie said pointedly.

"Or mine," Locke said. "And that Esper, apparently, reacted to you. Maybe there's a connection."

"Regardless, the Empire's going to try and recapture you and use you to their own ends. Terra, as I said before, I'd like you to meet Banon, the leader of the Returners. Same goes for you, Jamie. Banon might even know something about why Terra has the power she does. And we could do with a good fighter in our ranks," Edgar said.

Jamie nodded, but he was going to take a wait-and-see approach. He was in this to protect Terra. The Returners would have to prove themselves before he joined them…

 **CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Well, there you have it. There'll be a bit of a timeskip until the events of the next chapter, which will be the fight with Vargas and the first meeting with Sabin and Banon. I'll mention a meeting with Shadow in South Figaro, but that's it.**

 **BTW, this'll probably be the last chapter for a while. This is one of my more experimental fanfics, after all.**

 **Review-answering time! Well, my one and only review so far, anyway.** **UnknownUnseenUnheard** **: Glad you enjoyed it. Jamie is my favourite of the classic male companions, or really of the male companions throughout the series. A shame you never watched more of the classic series, though. Jamie will gain magic (in the game, non-magic users can learn magic from Magicite). As for how he ended up on this world, it was mentioned in passing: he basically went through a stone circle (he was running from Redcoats at the time) that had a portal to the world of** ** _Final Fantasy VI_** **. As for the Doctor appearing, well, I had no plans at the time, but I'm considering it. It won't be the Second Doctor, though: I'm leaning more towards the Eighth Doctor, who'd fit in better in such a world…**

 **1\. The 'bloody flux' was an old term for dysentery. In other words, he's calling the Sixth Doctor's coat like a rainbow had diarrhoea. BTW, although I normally subscribe to the 'Season 6B' theory, for the sake of this story, the theory posited in the Big Finish audio,** ** _The Black Hole_** **, takes precedence: that the Doctor had worked for the Time Lords before the events of** ** _The War Games_** **.**

 **2\. The Doctor never names his homeworld onscreen in** ** _The War Games_** **, and wouldn't do so until** ** _The Time Warrior_** **. Here, assume he told Jamie offscreen, or else a Time Lord told him the name of Gallifrey offscreen.**


	4. Chapter 3: Returners and Reunions

**CHAPTER 3:**

 **RETURNERS AND REUNIONS**

"We're being followed," Jamie said quietly to Terra, Locke, and Edgar.

The thief nodded. "I spotted them earlier."

"We all did," Edgar said. "I thought for a moment it was my brother, but unless he's dyed his hair greenish-blue…"

Jamie scowled, moving closer to Terra. They were currently traversing Mount Kolts, heading to the Returners' hideout. They had stopped by in South Figaro beforehand to rest and recuperate. Jamie remembered an encounter he had with a man in black at the bar with a dog. Locke and Edgar had identified the taciturn man as Shadow, an assassin. Thankfully, all the man did was say that he wanted Jamie to keep his distance. Jamie, hearing the icy tone in the man's voice, that of a stone cold killer, acceded.

They then went north briefly, as they had heard that Duncan, the teacher of Edgar's brother Sabin, had been apparently murdered. They found out more at the house from a frequent visitor to the house where Duncan and his students lived. Apparently Duncan favoured Sabin over his son, Vargas, and Vargas had allegedly murdered his father and fled. Sabin was pursuing Vargas to try and bring him to justice.

Mount Kolts was rocky, arduous to climb, and monster-ridden. Then again, Jamie had gone through mountains like this before. Admittedly, there were no monsters in his home in the Scottish Highlands, save for what humans became in times of war and dominance, but his mind flashed back to the mountains and caves of Skaro, Daleks patrolling them, or the Himalayas, with robot Yeti, controlled by the Great Intelligence, roaming around. Thinking of those reminded him of Victoria, sweet Victoria Waterfield, and he fought back a pang in his heart at the thought.

He remembered, while they were staying at the inn at South Figaro, Locke had spoken to him quietly. He had asked Jamie who he had lost. After some prodding, Jamie eventually told him, in brief, about Victoria, as well as Zoe Heriot. Locke, after a while, eventually admitted he had lost someone as well, a woman called Rachel, who had suffered amnesia due to an accident while following Locke. Rachel had then rejected him, if only because she saw her father being upset by her amnesia, only to suffer fatal wounds, calling for Locke after an Imperial invasion of her hometown, Kohlingen. Locke had asked a local crackpot to preserve her at the very edge of death. He then asked whether the Doctor could help. Jamie admitted that the Doctor wasn't really a medical doctor, but he could try to help.

Locke had noticed how Jamie seemed to gravitate automatically towards being protective towards Terra. The girl was no slouch when it came to combat: a number of monsters and bandits regretted ever approaching the girl, thinking her to be a soft target. But all the same, there was a sense of fragility and innocence in Terra that Jamie, and indeed, Locke and Edgar, seemed to want to protect.

Edgar, he was beginning to warm to, and not just because of the way he humiliated Kefka. Despite Edgar's flirting with Terra, Jamie could tell it wasn't serious now. Not that it was wholly serious at Figaro Castle, but it was now more like punctuation than anything remotely serious. And poor Terra seemed merely confused by his flirting. Not that she didn't recognise it, but the poor girl didn't seem to quite understand how attractive she was.

Then again, what little she remembered of her life (and she was remembering it gradually as time went on) suggested it wasn't surprising. She had been raised in isolation, like a princess in a fairy tale (Jamie nearly chuckled when he remembered meeting Rapunzel while in the Land of Fiction). Locked in a tower, kept away from everyone.

Suddenly, Jamie's eyes were drawn to a nearby cluster of bushes, movement just behind them to his eyes, trained to seek out wildlife in the Highlands for hunting. "Terra…those bushes…set them on fire."

Terra nodded, before she sent a Fire spell at the bushes. With a surprised and angry yelp, a burly, musclebound man with blue-green hair and a hard, thin face leapt out. "Damn you!" he snarled, beating out the flames on his trousers, the only item of clothing, barring shoes, he wore.

"Who're you?" Jamie demanded. "Why've you been followin' us, you Sassenach?"

"Following you? You're with Sabin, searching for me!" the man snarled.

"Sabin!" Edgar yelped, his eyes wide, before they narrowed, glaring at the man. "So, you're Vargas Harcourt."

"And you must be his soft little brother, King Edgar," Vargas sneered.

"Where is Sabin?" Edgar yelled.

"I don't know, but if he ever catches me, I will do the same to him as I will to you," Vargas snarled. "I've no plans to submit to the judgement of any man, even the King of Figaro! If you weren't searching for me, then it is merely the unluckiest day of your lives…and it will be your last!"

"Enough of this, Vargas!" roared a voice. Then, leaping down from a nearby cliff came a burly young man in trousers and a singlet. Jamie blinked. Although the hairstyle was different, and the skin was tanned and the body more muscled, the man closely resembled Edgar.

"Sabin!" Edgar yelled in relief.

"Sabin," growled Vargas. "The one my worthless father chose as successor, over his own progeny!"

"You idiot!" Sabin yelled. "He was going to name you as successor anyway, because of your potential!"

"You lie! And in any case, I have more than just potential! _BLIZZARD FIST!_ " He swung his hands in a strange manner, and all of a sudden, a cold gale blew, sending everyone sprawling and nearly sending them off the edge of the mountain path they were traversing, save for Sabin. Vargas gave a sort of satisfied smile. "Well, Sabin, I guess father was right in that you had some potential after all. Fate had us train together, but fate dictates that only one can be the winner! Fate dictates that it will be me! Prepare to die!"

Terra, struggling to her feet, sent another Fire spell at Vargas. He dodged with a sneer. "Haven't you got any new tricks?"

"AURA CANNON!" Sabin roared, firing a beam of energy from his hands that pushed Vargas along the ground, until he was hanging off the edge of a cliff.

Vargas stared at Sabin from where he was hanging, blood trickling from his mouth. "…He taught…you…that…already?"

Sabin nodded sadly, and held out a hand. "Vargas…why did you have to be so consumed by pride?"

"…It's all I had left," Vargas sneered. Then, he yelled, "I WILL NOT LET YOU HAVE THE HONOUR OF DEFEATING ME! I WILL TAKE YOU WITH ME!" With a bellow, he tried to grab onto Sabin's hand and pull him down with him. Sabin dodged barely, and Vargas fell with a defiant roar.

Terra gasped in horror. "…Why did he do that? Why did he try to do that than admit defeat?"

"Because some Sassenachs are sore losers," Jamie murmured.

"True," Sabin said, walking away from the edge, shaking his head sadly. "Vargas…" He looked over at the others. "Hey, brother. What're you doing abroad with no escort? I mean, aside from this motley crew?"

"We're heading to the Sabre Mountains," Edgar said.

"The Returners, right? I've been watching from afar, hoping the world wouldn't descend into madness. Clearly, that was a pretty vain hope. The way things were going, I thought Figaro was going to be a puppet state. Looks like you cut the strings."

"We've got a way to strike back," Edgar said. "I'm through with playing quisling to the Empire."

"Well, who're these?" Sabin asked.

"Locke Cole, my liaison with the Returners and noted treasure hunter," Edgar said, indicating the thief. "Terra Branford, a former soldier of the Gestahl Empire, albeit one enslaved by a Slave Crown. And Jamie McCrimmon, who found Terra in Narshe shortly after her Slave Crown was removed. He seems to have made himself into her bodyguard."

"Nice to meet you," Sabin said with a smile. Jamie found himself warming to Sabin more readily than Edgar. "Well, I'll come with you. I mean, I think Duncan'll rest in peace easier knowing his teachings helped keep the world at peace."

* * *

They soon found the hideout of the Returners, nestled within a cave, some hours' walk from Mount Kolts. They were soon brought to the room of Banon, the leader of the Returners. Jamie was a bit surprised at meeting the older man, who didn't look like he had actually fought that many battles, though there was the air of a born leader about the bearded man.

"So, this is the girl to whom the Esper responded," Banon mused, peering at Terra, and causing Jamie to move closer to her.

"You're making her uncomfortable," Jamie said with a scowl. "You're looking at her like an Androgum would."

Banon held up his hands. "My apologies…and you are?"

"This is Jamie McCrimmon," Locke explained. "He seems to have made himself her bodyguard."

"Aye, and I dinnae like the way you're looking at her body!"

"Jamie!" Terra interjected. "I…I'm all right. I'm not a fragile waif."

"No…" Banon said. "No, you are not. Even without the Slave Crown, you have fought battles. And with it on…" He turned away. "I have heard that you killed fifty Imperial soldiers in a couple of minutes."

As Terra's face fell, Jamie scowled. "You Sassenach! Terra canna remember that!"

"I agree, Banon! The Slave Crown affected her memory when it was removed!" Edgar protested. "She remembers barely anything before it was put on, and nothing when it was on!"

"And hiding from the truth won't change it!" Banon snapped, turning to face Edgar and Jamie. "I agree, she is hardly culpable for what happened…but it happened all the same! It is better that she comes to terms with that!"

"Oh, and what, you canna break it to her gently?" Jamie asked sarcastically.

"Jamie…your protection of her is admirable. It is good that there is at least one person who wants to protect her, in spite of what she has done for the Empire," Banon said. "But you are one person against the might of the Gestahl Empire. You may be able to stop those sent to recapture her, but only for so long."

Jamie scowled, but knew Banon was right. Even with Terra assisting him, it might be only a matter of time before he was killed.

"Terra…let me tell you a story. Back when the people of the world were innocent and pure, there was a box. They were told never to open it. But yet, someone eventually did, out of curiosity. But out of that box burst the evils of the world, the sins of greed and gluttony, envy and pride and wrath…one thing remained in the box. A single ray of light. We call that light hope. Terra, you may consider your powers a curse, but they are a boon instead. Terra, the very Empire you were a thrall to is consuming this world piece by bloody piece. To us…you are that final ray of light, the hope of the world."

Before anyone could respond, a commotion could be heard outside. Banon blinked, and then left the room where they had been speaking, to find a pair of guards holding a couple of people at bay. Jamie frowned. One was a dark-haired woman, the other a man with long, curly brown hair framing a long, thin face. The man was certainly dressed rather dashingly. When Locke saw the woman, he whispered, disbelievingly, "Rachel?"

"Locke?" the woman asked, her eyes wide.

"This is Rachel?" Banon asked. "But how can this be? I thought you said you had preserved her at the very edge of death in Kohlingen!"

"I believe you have me to blame for that," the man, perhaps in his forties, said in a smooth, low voice. Jamie frowned. Was that a Liverpool accent? He had found out that accent during his travels with the Doctor. "Or thank, if you're in the mood."

"Who're you?" Locke asked. "What did you do to her?"

"I saved her life. Unfortunately, my transport was stolen by forces of the Gestahl Empire, and we made our way here, as I had heard rumours of the Returners being here. I don't suppose you may have seen my transport? A blue box, maybe two metres, well, six feet high, marked with the words…"

"Police Box," Jamie finished for the man almost automatically. He could scarcely believe it. Only knowing what he had learned about regeneration had him even considering what he was now thinking.

The man frowned, then nodded. "Yes, Police Box. How did you…?" Then, he saw Jamie, who began to push his way through the crowd. His eyes widened. "As I live and breathe," he murmured, a smile creeping over his features. "Jamie…how did you end up here?"

"You know this man?" Banon asked.

"I've never seen his face before…but he's changed his face before, I know. You said Terra was the only hope of this world, Banon? I beg to differ, if this is the same man I knew."

"You can't mean to say that this is the man you've been talking about!" Locke yelped incredulously.

"He is, I'm sure of it. This man is the Doctor!"

 **CHAPTER 3 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **And there you have it. I originally didn't intend to bring the Doctor in until later in this tale, if at all, but decided, on a whim, to bring him into the story at this point. I've changed the marked characters for this story accordingly. That being said, the Doctor won't be the main focus of the story as much as Jamie and Terra will be. And yes, the Doctor will have some technobabble explanation for magic, which will actually tie into the continuity of the classic series and the new series.**

 **In case you don't know, this is the Eighth Doctor, specifically the Eighth Doctor shortly after C'rizz died and Charlotte 'Charley' Pollard left him, but before he met Lucie Miller. These companions were from the Big Finish audios, and so, this story takes place sometime between** ** _The Girl Who Never Was_** **and** ** _Blood of the Daleks_** **. The Big Finish audios are brilliant, by the way, and every** ** _Doctor Who_** **fan owes it to themselves to listen to some of them.**

 **Review-answering time!** **jgkitarel** **: Jamie is supremely adaptable, that much is certain. But while he wouldn't hesitate to kill Kefka, it doesn't mean Kefka will go down easily. As for Celes and Leo, Jamie will be wary of them both. Of course, given Celes' way of coming into the Returners, after being tortured by the Empire, he will feel some sympathy for her.**

 **Bardic Knowledge** **: I just try to use the later translations as a basis, due to slightly greater accuracy, though I do sometimes throw in some Woolsey-style phrases. I also only use the game script as a guide, and try to write my own version of the dialogue.**

 **sephchipmunk** **: What the hell does** ** _Schindler's List_** **have to do with this story?**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	5. Chapter 4: Time Lord, Esper and

**CHAPTER 4:**

 **TIME LORD, ESPER AND HIGHLANDER**

"So, you remember all of our adventures?" the Doctor asked Jamie.

"Aye, and I remember that the Time Lords erased them," Jamie said with a scowl. They were currently sitting in one of the rooms of the Returners' hideout, along with Terra, while Locke and Rachel were catching up. "I remember a bit of what you told me about regeneration after we met the you with the blonde curls and the loud voice and louder coat."

"My sixth body," the Doctor said. "This is my eighth."

"Travelling alone?"

"At the moment. The last couple of companions I had…well, C'rizz died…and Charley, you would have liked her, Charley got cross with me, maybe understandably. She left me at a hotel(1)." The Doctor sighed. "I've been wandering aimlessly, more so than usual, until something about this world caught my eye. Unusual concentrations of Artron Energy and amounts of Block Transfer Computations, and it raised a few red flags in the TARDIS databanks. I'm not sure what's caused it, either, but Block Transfer Computations are very deliberate."

"Umm, does he always speak like this, Jamie?" Terra asked.

Before Jamie could answer, the Doctor said, "Oh, yes. His usual response to me talking like this is to go, ' _Oh, aye_ '."

Jamie chuckled, despite himself. "Well, to tell the truth, Doctor, you do speak a lot of words that I dinnae ken."

"Okay, well, in simple terms, Artron Energy is a kind of lifeforce. All living things possess it, but sentient beings like you and I possess more of it, though Time Lords possess more of it than, say, humans. Block Transfer Computations are basically a way of turning numbers into matter, by using calculations to shape the very fabric of reality. A complex enough equation can, for example, change the shape of the TARDIS(2)." The Doctor frowned. "Now, while we were on our way here, Rachel told me some of the history of this world, or at least its mythology. A thousand years ago, a trio of deities waged war on each other, turning humans into beings called Espers, with powerful magic. After a time, the deities stopped warring, and sealed themselves away. The Espers, however, went to war against humans who stole their magic, known as the Magi. Those two conflicts are collectively known as the War of the Magi."

"But Doctor, I thought you dinnae believe in magic," Jamie said.

"There are powers that could be mistaken for magic. The Daemons of Daemos, for example, used psionic powers in a way you would consider magic, and the Carrionites used memetic-based sciences that you could mistake for witchcraft(3)."

"Well, Terra here, she can use magic."

"Can she?" The Doctor peered at her, before pulling out a hand-held device. "Don't be alarmed, it's a medical scanner and basic healer. I have it with me because I used it to try and diagnose what was wrong with Rachel."

On seeing Jamie's reassuring nod, Terra relaxed, and sat still as the Doctor carefully scanned her. He peered at the results, and frowned. "Some neurological damage…I can heal that with this. Extremely high concentration of Artron Energy…and what's this? For some reason, the people of this world are human, but Terra…she's half-human." As Terra's eyes widened, the Doctor said, "There's nothing wrong with that. Jamie told you I'm a Time Lord, didn't he? We may look human, but we're not. We came first, though."

Terra didn't seem too reassured by this. "Doctor, she's frightened," Jamie said.

"I know, Jamie. Terra, would you like me to restore the damaged parts of your brain back to normal?" he asked soothingly. "It's relatively minor damage, well within the ability of this device."

Terra looked at him, before nodding. "I have…amnesia. While I'm not sure I will like the memories you will restore…I'd rather have them than not."

The Doctor smiled, before saying, "You're a very brave young woman, Terra. Now, I need you to lie down on that bed there while I do so. There won't be any actual pain, but it may be uncomfortable."

Terra nodded, before she and the Doctor went over to a nearby bed, where Terra lay down. The Doctor then gently held the device to her head. "Just relax, please. As much as you can. Calm yourself, because the memories I restore may be unpleasant ones."

"I can already guess that," Terra said, before shutting her eyes and trying to relax.

As the Doctor used the device, he looked at Jamie. "How did you end up here, anyway?"

"Went through a stone circle while I was being pursued by Redcoats," Jamie said, with a shrug. "I ended up in some sort of mines, near some queer beastie called an Esper. Y'know, like the ones you were talking about in those legends. Looked like a bird and a snake had children. Called himself Valigarmanda. He spoke to me, y'know, like telepathy? The thing is, when I woke up in those mines, all the blocks the Time Lords put on my memory were removed."

"Must've been the effect of an unstable hyperspatial conduit, or even a time corridor," the Doctor mused. "The stone circle must've been an anchor point. That suggests that someone in charge of this world brought people here deliberately."

"It's nae like the War Games, is it, Doctor?" Jamie asked.

"I doubt that it's the War Lords who are in charge," the Doctor mused. "The Time Lords sealed their world away behind a time loop, and in any case, they're no trouble now(4)."

Suddenly, Terra flinched, whimpering quietly. "Doctor…" Jamie said.

"Jamie, it's just some bad memories. Her synapses are healing. It's unpleasant, but she said she wanted this. It's nearly finished. About fifteen seconds. It's all right, Terra. Be brave. Memories can be painful, but people are the sum of their memories, good and bad. Weather the bad ones. You can do it."

After a short period, one which Jamie felt rather helpless as he watched Terra suffer from her bad memories, the Doctor looked at the device, before deactivating it. "There," he said quietly. "Are you feeling all right, Terra?"

"Not really. But I prefer to have these than not, Doctor. Thank you. I can see why Jamie thinks so highly of you," Terra said, sitting up on the bed.

"Jamie was one of my most loyal companions," the Doctor said.

"I'm surprised you didn't go back for him," Terra said.

"For a time, I couldn't," the Doctor said. "I was exiled to Earth over two centuries in Jamie's future, with the TARDIS unable to travel unless the Time Lords allowed me to. And once I regained my ability to travel in time…I believed Jamie was perhaps better without my meddling in his life any longer. The same for Zoe. Anyway, meddling with memory blocks is dangerous. Your amnesia was inflicted by accident, but when it's inflicted on someone on purpose, removing them can be dangerous, especially if it's the Time Lords doing so. You could end up reducing someone to a drooling vegetable if you're careless. I met Zoe again, actually. She ended up in the Land of Fiction, Jamie, in order to save Station W3 from another Cyberman invasion. I rescued her, but her memory was wiped again(5)."

"Och, well, look, for me, it's only been a little while since I was left at Scotland," Jamie said after a pause, thinking of Zoe. "I'm glad you're here anyway, Doctor. And thanks for helping Terra. Have you got any idea on how to stop the Gestahl Empire?"

"Not a clue," the Doctor admitted. "In all likelihood, they may have taken the TARDIS back to Vector, the capital city of the Gestahl Empire, according to Rachel. I came here partly to see if I could have some help in getting to Vector, as well as to see if Locke was here. Rachel was sure he had anti-Empire leanings, and would have joined the Returners after her being grievously wounded. Her hunch was correct. She's a spirited young woman. Reminds me a lot of Charley…and so many others."

"Terra reminds me of Victoria," Jamie admitted.

"I can see why you latched onto her, then," the Doctor murmured. "Do you have a last name, Terra?"

"Emperor Gestahl called me Terra Branford, in honour of my mother, so he claimed," Terra said. "I…remember so many things now. I was kept isolated from the world, isolated from everyone, save for Gestahl, Kefka, and Doctor Cid. I do remember occasionally meeting a girl my age called Celes, and an older man called Leo. They're both generals of the Empire. I…remember what I did while under the influence of that Slave Crown. Kefka had the gall to call it my 16th birthday present."

"Yes, Rachel told me of the rumours she heard. About Celes, Leo, and Kefka. Kefka in particular."

"He's a madman, Doctor," Jamie said. "Remember Zaroff? He's as bad as he was, or even worse. He'd destroy the world for a joke."

"The more I hear of him, the less I like the sound of him," the Eighth Doctor muttered.

"If I told you what he made me do under the influence of the Slave Crown, Doctor, you'd like him even less," Terra said. Then, her eyes widened. "Wait, there's something we need to tell Banon!"

"What?" Jamie asked.

"How the Empire is able to harness magic! I…I remember Cid, Gestahl, and Kefka speaking sometimes of Espers. Magitek is somehow based on extracting power from the Espers! The way they spoke…I think they have some in captivity."

"Appalling and monstrous," the Doctor muttered angrily. "Why am I not surprised?"

* * *

Banon, who was standing just outside the cave, came back inside as they told him. He nodded solemnly. "You have confirmed what I have had suspicions of. Edgar had sent Locke to gather intelligence on the Empire's dealings, and the Empire is most interested in tomes and scholars specialising in magic and Espers. It was thought that there was a connection between Espers and Magitek. With what Terra remembers, that connection solidifies."

"The Empire wanted to capture the Esper at Narshe," Terra said. "It's why they sent me, to ensure the success of the mission. But it backfired. The Esper freed me from their control. I…remember it speaking to me now. It called me the daughter of Maduin, saying it recognised my smell as his."

"That may be why you have some innate connection to magic," the Doctor mused. "Maybe you're half-Esper. It would explain why the Esper in Narshe identified your father."

"The tales of the War of the Magi speak of machines fuelled by magic," Banon said gravely. "It seems that the Gestahl Empire intends to wage it anew. Which is why I think our next course of action is to try and head back to Narshe with Terra, and try to communicate with the Esper. If we wake it up, we may gain a powerful ally."

" _Your_ course of action, Banon," the Doctor said. "I intend to try and make my way to Vector to try and retrieve the TARDIS. While it's doubtful that they can enter it, it's possible that they can use Block Transfer Computation in the form of some sort of magic to force entry. And if they get a hold of the technology within, it would be disastrous, not only for this world, but for all of time and space. I intend to help the Returners, don't get me wrong: I can infiltrate Vector and find out exactly what the Empire is planning, perhaps sabotage their Magitek process. Anything to help you. But I need to stop the Empire from trying to use the TARDIS for their own ends."

"I thought it was hard for anything to enter the TARDIS, Doctor," Jamie said.

"Yes, and it will take them time," the Doctor said. "But they might get lucky. Block Transfer Computations are what make up the outer shell of the TARDIS, and they are also part of what magic on this world seems to entail."

"Zoe told me that when we were dealing with those Kroton things, you set something called a HADS(6)."

"Yes, but I didn't this time," the Doctor said. "I don't always do so. I don't have a Stattenheim Remote Control either, or I would've used it."

"At least help us with the Esper, Doctor," Banon said. "Then, we'll see about sending an expedition to Vector."

The Doctor nodded. "Very well. I can always try if Terra can't…"

* * *

It was during a meeting outlining the plans (Terra having agreed to aid the Returners) that a member of the Returners lurched in, injured. Terra was on him immediately, using healing magic. "What happened?" Banon asked the man.

"The Empire's taken South Figaro!" the man gasped. "They're mobilising to attack here!"

"They must've found us," Banon muttered. "We haven't a moment to lose."

"Locke, you know what to do," Edgar said.

"Yeah," Locke said. "Sabotage the Empire's presence in South Figaro, slow them down a little, then rendezvous at Narshe."

"I'm coming with you," Rachel said. "And that's final, Locke," she interjected as he began to protest. "I'm going to fight alongside you, no matter what! Besides, we snuck into plenty of places to hunt treasure."

"I'll come with you two," the Doctor decided. "I've experience with improvised sabotage."

"Okay, Doc," Locke said. "You saved Rachel's life, so I owe you. But don't slow us down!"

"I wouldn't dream of it. Jamie! Take care of yourself, and Terra! I'll see you at Narshe!" And with that, the Doctor dashed out with Locke and Rachel.

"Will he be of help to them?" Edgar asked.

"Look, the Doctor's really good at two things: getting into messes, and, more importantly, getting out of them," Jamie said. "Banon, where do we escape to?"

"You, Terra, Edgar and Sabin will come with me. Everyone else, to your assigned escape routes!"

As they fled through the cave, Terra asked, "How are we getting to Narshe?"

"We can get there along the River Lethe, whose rapids run to a lake near Narshe," Banon explained. "We'll be using a raft. It's a touch risky, but we have no other choice."

"I'd rather take that risk than be recaptured by the Empire," Terra said, with a note of steely resolve in her voice that hadn't been there before. And Jamie was glad of it. And now that the Doctor was here, he had more hope than he had before that they could do something to stop the Empire.

And ensure that Terra could live a happy life without fear…

 **CHAPTER 4 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, here we have it. The Doctor will be an important character, but the focus will be more on Jamie and Terra. That being said, we will have at least one chapter devoted to the Doctor, Locke, and Rachel saving Celes in South Figaro.**

 **1\. These events were told in the Big Finish audios** ** _Absolution_** **and** ** _The Girl that Never Was_** **. However, Charley hadn't left the Doctor in a hotel. Instead, unbeknownst to him, she was stranded in another time…and was rescued by the Sixth Doctor. As she believed his Eighth incarnation had died, she had to be careful revealing what she knew, and the Sixth Doctor became suspicious of her. She eventually left the Sixth Doctor, though not before he learned the truth, and acceded to having his memories changed.**

 **2\. Artron Energy was first mentioned in** ** _The Deadly Assassin_** **, while the concept of Block Transfer Computations played a key role in** ** _Logopolis_** **. As causes of 'magic', they also play a role in another** ** _Doctor Who_** **crossover I have written,** ** _Time and Entropy_** **, a crossover with** ** _Puella Magi Madoka Magica_** **. The events of** ** _Logopolis_** **play a key role in the backstory of that story as well.**

 **3\. The Daemons play a role in the classic story** ** _The Daemons_** **, while the Carrionites made their appearance in** ** _The Shakespeare Code_** **.**

 **4\. As detailed in** ** _The War Games_** **, though the events of the novel** ** _Timewyrm: Exodus_** **showed that the time loop could be escaped…**

 **5\. This happened in the audio** ** _Legend of the Cybermen_** **.**

 **6\. HADS stands for Hostile Action Displacement System. When the TARDIS is attacked, the TARDIS will dematerialise and rematerialize elsewhere when the danger has passed. Although its only classic series TV appearance was in** ** _The Krotons_** **, the system reappeared in Mark Gatiss' new series story** ** _Cold War_** **, and a variation, the Hostile Action** ** _Dispersal_** **System, played a key role in the climax of** ** _The Witch's Familiar_** **.**


	6. Chapter 5: Celes

**CHAPTER 5:**

 **CELES**

Locke had to admit, the Doctor seemed to know what he was doing. He had a nifty little device which he called a 'sonic screwdriver', which he used to great effect to sabotage various Magitek Armour in and around South Figaro. And while he didn't quite have as good skills at thieving as Locke did, he was certainly good at pickpocketing and sleight of hand. And Rachel was no slouch either. She managed to lure a couple of Imperial soldiers to them so that they could steal their uniforms, claiming that she had information about the Returners. She knocked out one of the soldiers once they got there, muttering something about revenge for nearly killing her.

They found out information that one of the Empire's top officers was scheduled to be executed for speaking out against Gestahl and Kefka. It was to this end that the three of them infiltrated a secret cellar of a particular house. Outside a door, they heard the thud of a physical blow, and a strangled cry of pain from a woman. "This is what happens to traitors," sneered a male voice. "General Celes, the Ice Queen of Maranda, reduced to this."

"Reduced? Maybe, but not as much as those who use their strength to crush the weak. There is conquest, and then there is atrocity." That voice was that of a woman, filled with pain, but retaining dignity and nobility.

"Quiet!"

"Or what? I am to die tomorrow on Kefka's orders, all because I spoke out about his intention on massacring the people of Doma! What can you do to me that you haven't already done?" She began laughing, only for it to be cut off by another blow, and she began wheezing, as if winded.

"You forget, Celes, because you're a traitor, you rank below even us. When I give an order, YOU FOLLOW IT!"

"You…can't make…me…" Celes wheezed.

"We'll see. Maybe I should get some of the boys down here to have themselves a good time before you die. Kefka suggested that. You, keep an eye on her. I'm going to fetch the lads."

Locke and his companions moved to hide, and watched as a soldier stormed out of the cell. As he left, they heard the sound of snoring from within, presumably from another guard. The three intruders carefully snuck in, to find a blonde-haired woman chained up at the far end of the room, a small line of blood dribbling from her mouth, her hair and clothes dishevelled. She was dressed in what looked like a green leotard with a blue cape.

The Doctor went to the nearby guard, who was sleeping, and jabbed his finger into a specific point on the man's throat. The man choked, before slumping. "Did you kill him?" Locke demanded.

"No. He's unconscious rather than asleep, and will be for at least a day," the Doctor said. "Venusian Aikido. I'm out of practise, but it's still useful(1). It just means we can get out of here without alerting him." He fished out the sonic screwdriver, and began using it on the shackles of the woman, presumably General Celes.

Celes looked at the three of them. "Who are you?"

"The name's Locke," Locke said. "That's Rachel, and that's the Doctor. We're with the Returners."

"With me being on a somewhat freelance basis, General Celes," the Doctor said. "Your Empire stole some property of mine at Kohlingen."

"The…police box thing?" Celes asked.

"Yes." The shackles snapped open, and Celes slumped forward. However, she pressed a hand to herself, and her wounds began closing, her bruises fading. "So, you have magic too."

"I am a Magitek Mage Knight," Celes said, getting to her feet. "I'm surprised that the Returners would deign to help a general of the Gestahl Empire, even one considered a traitor."

"It sounded like you had qualms about what was happening," Rachel said with a frown.

"I fought to assure the ascendancy of the Empire, not to murder children and civilians in their homes," Celes said. "Sadly, the Emperor seems all-too-willing to turn a blind eye to Kefka's atrocities. He is no longer the man I wish to serve, the man I admired."

"Look, come with us," Locke said.

"You'd take me with you?" Celes asked, surprised. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that. I thank you for helping me, but I intend to die a warrior's death, taking as many of these bastards with me as I can. You can use such a diversion to escape."

"Go out with a blaze of glory?" the Doctor scoffed. "I don't think so. Celes, we can help you. And you can help us. I need to find out where the Empire has taken my property."

"…To my knowledge, it has been sent to Cid at the Magitek Labs." Celes looked at them. "You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?"

"I am known for being persistent, and Locke here has a chivalrous streak a mile wide," the Doctor said.

Celes scoffed. Eventually, she said, "Very well." She walked over to the guard and fished a key from his uniform. "I'm already considered a traitor by the Empire. I may as well throw my lot in with the Returners. My weapons will be stored nearby. We may need them…"

* * *

As they left South Figaro and made their way for a cave system leading to Figaro Castle, and where they could head north to Narshe, Celes looked at the Doctor. "Why is this box of yours so important?"

"You tell me. Why did the Empire confiscate it?"

"One of our soldiers saw it appear out of the air with a rather loud noise," Celes said. "A man answering to your description stepped out. While he was gone, one of the soldiers decided to investigate, but the door was locked, and when he tried to bash it down with a sword…"

"He couldn't get in," the Doctor chortled.

"Yes. Despite the fact that it looks like it is made of wood and perhaps concrete. Even the windows couldn't be damaged."

"Once, the assembled hordes of Genghis Khan attempted to break down the door, and they couldn't manage it. His grandson Kublai Khan once won it off me in a game of backgammon, though. So the fact that it was hardier than it seemed piqued your interest?"

"That of the local garrison, yes," Celes said. "I received dispatches, being one of the ranking officers of the Imperial Army, and thus required to read reports of note. A teleporting box, and one which you didn't seem to be in any discomfort squeezing in, despite apparently storing equipment in it. And made out of a material hard to damage, if not indestructible. You can understand the military interest in it."

"All too well," the Doctor murmured, opting not to tell Celes that it was a time machine. He felt her desire to defect from the Gestahl Empire was genuine, but it was better not to tell her anything further. "Celes, how did you gain magic ability?"

"I don't know the technical details," Celes said. "And even if I did know, I wouldn't tell you. However, I was the second test subject for the Magitek Infusion process, and its first unqualified success. I was an orphan, anyway, one taken in by the man who developed Magitek, Cid del Norte Marquez. I had the process used on me when I was two."

"Who was the first test subject?" Locke asked.

"Kefka," Celes said, spitting out the name as if it was a vile curse. "Kefka Palazzo was once a gifted young military officer under Emperor Gestahl, so I was told, and volunteered to undergo the process. It shattered his mind irrevocably. Have any of you met him?"

"None of us, save for Locke, I believe," the Doctor said. "My friend Jamie did tell me that he reminded him of an adversary I had encountered before, an insane scientist who wanted to destroy the world."

"He'd do it if he were given the opportunity," Celes said. "Kefka delights in death and destruction. Why Gestahl tolerates him, I don't know." She frowned, before looking back at the Doctor. "Now that I come to think about it, why are you called 'The Doctor'?"

"Because I like that name."

"That's not a name, that's a title. Like if I went around calling myself 'The General'."

"To me, it is a name, my chosen name." They reached the mouth of the cave by this point, and the Doctor frowned. "Apropos of nothing, do you feel something odd?"

Celes nodded, drawing her sword, a sword, the Doctor noticed, seemed to be made of a special metal. "We must be cautious."

* * *

As it turned out, their instincts were spot-on. They were soon assaulted by a Magitek machine called the Tunnel Armour. However, Celes showed her mettle by absorbing the magic spells fired their way with her Runic Sword. As the massive machine charged, intending to impale them on its massive drill, they dodged out of the way, only for the Doctor to dive on and began using his sonic screwdriver on it. The thing bucked and spun like a petulant bucking bronco, but by the time he was thrown off, with Rachel hurriedly handing him a Potion to help heal him, the machine was out of control, and Locke and Celes managed to finish bringing it down with a combination of physical attacks, as well as spells from Celes.

"What was that thing you were using on the Tunnel Armour?" Celes asked.

"A sonic screwdriver. You ask a lot of questions, and outside of my being interrogated. I like that, it's the sign of a healthy, inquiring mind."

"Whereas your actions seemed to be signs of reckless derangement."

"Reckless, perhaps, but not deranged." He got to his feet, and went over to Celes, peering at the sword. "How can this sword absorb spells?"

"I don't know, but it replenishes my magic reserves when it does so."

"Changes the shaped Artron Energy formed by Block Transfer Computations into raw Artron Energy that is channelled into the wielder," the Doctor mused out loud. "Or maybe something else."

"You'd get along well with Cid. He was like a father to me…well, grandfather," Celes said.

The Doctor scowled, thinking about the advances Cid had made, potentially from extracting magic from Espers. He hoped that the man would be at least apologetic about what he did, because if he wasn't, the Doctor would make sure he would be.

* * *

"So, you two are an item?" Celes asked Locke and Rachel, as they made their way north to Narshe, having escaped from the cave. The Doctor trailed behind, fiddling with a few pieces of electronics that he had pilfered from the Tunnel Armour.

Rachel nodded, still a little wary of the beautiful, statuesque young woman who had been a top general of the Empire until recently. "We have been for some time. Why?"

"I'm sorry. I've never been able to get along with many people. Most see me as the Ice Queen of Maranda." She snorted. "A few idiots reckon I need to get laid, their words rather than mine, that I'm some love-starved twit or something. I have not wanted for affection. Cid treated me like I was his own granddaughter. Everyone else treats me as a fearful Amazon, or a sex object."

"You're a very beautiful woman, probably," the Doctor remarked(2). "Given your skill in combat, they'd be nervous in dealing with you if they wanted to reach out to you genuinely. Anyway, you are, what, eighteen? You're still young. You have plenty of time to find someone if you want to."

"I guess so. Have you got anyone in your life, Doctor?"

The Doctor pursed his lips. "Had. Let's just say I'm old enough to know what it's like to have loved and lost many times over. I travel to keep my mind off such things. Trouble has a bad habit of finding me wherever I do, though."

"Jamie said you can get yourself out of trouble," Locke said. "You know how to pick locks? I mean, other than with that sonic screwdriver thing?"

"Some locks, yes. I really should have kept Jo's set of skeleton keys and lockpicks with me(3)," the Doctor mused. "And I've dealt with stranger locks."

"He's a miracle worker, Locke. I remember that creepy herbalist you hired to keep me from dying saying it was impossible to do what he did," Rachel said.

"True enough," the Doctor said. "I'm not actually a medical doctor. I'm more of a jack of all trades. But what I do is try to leave each place I visit the better for me being there. I don't always succeed, but I try."

"An optimist," Celes scoffed. "Well, the Empire no longer has my loyalty, given that Gestahl and Kefka have spat on it. But I doubt I'll get a warm welcome from the Returners, either."

Locke looked over at Celes. "They accepted Terra."

"Terra? She's with you now? Then again, her actions over the past couple of years have been due to that Slave Crown Kefka made her wear. Whereas what I have done was of my own will." Celes scoffed again. "The Returners won't be so eager to accept me, I know that much. But even if I have to fight the Empire alone out of spite, I will do so."

"You won't have to," the Doctor said, reassuringly. But even then, he couldn't be sure of the Returners' reaction to Celes being present. He just hoped nobody would start a fight…

 **CHAPTER 5 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter. There'll be more Jamie/Terra in the next one. I have a bit of an issue with the timeframe of the game, as I find it hard to believe Sabin, Gau and Cyan would arrive back at Narshe (given how long they travel) before Locke and Celes (and, in this story, Rachel and the Doctor), so here, Terra, Jamie, Edgar and Banon have arrived at Narshe first, and have been there for a couple of days before Locke, Rachel, Celes and the Doctor get back, and a few days later, shortly before Kefka arrives in Narshe, Sabin and company will arrive.**

 **If you guys want some more** ** _Final Fantasy VI_** **action, check out my Harry Potter crossover** ** _Esper Child_** **, and my whacky parody fic,** ** _Final Fantasy VI: The Abridged Series_** **. For more** ** _Doctor Who_** **action, check out my parody fic** ** _The UNIT Bulletin Board_** **, as well as my** ** _Puella Magi Madoka Magica_** **crossover** ** _Time and Entropy_** **, my** ** _Bioshock Infinite_** **crossover** ** _The City That Never Was_** **, and my Quatermass crossover** ** _Quatermass and the Doctor_** **. Yes, my username actually comes from somewhere.**

 **1\. I can't remember if the Eighth Doctor used Venusian Aikido in the novels or audios. The Third Doctor was famous for using it in the TV series.**

 **2\. The Doctor is quoting himself in his fourth body, from** ** _City of Death_** **.**

 **3\. Jo Grant, a companion of the Third Doctor's, was undeniably skilled at lockpicking, even having a set of skeleton keys around on occasion, which she used in** ** _Carnival of Monsters_** **.**


	7. Chapter 6: Metamorphoses

**CHAPTER 6:**

 **METAMORPHOSES**

"…and the sad thing is, that octopus was nae the weirdest or biggest beastie I've ever fought," Jamie finished.

"Just as well," Edgar said. The three of them (Jamie, Edgar, and Terra) were currently sitting at the table in Arvis' house. Banon was currently negotiating with the Elder of Narshe to allow Terra to come to the frozen Esper. "Ultros is a known pest. I just hope Sabin's all right."

Terra nodded. "I hope so too. It's been a few days."

Jamie scowled to himself. Sabin had fallen overboard from the raft they were on while they were fighting Ultros, a belligerent and massive purple octopus who was intelligent…and barmy. They couldn't help him as he was swept away by the current of the River Lethe. According to Edgar, if Sabin hadn't drowned, he had probably ended up near Doma. And the latest news to reach Narshe had suggested that Doma had fallen to the Empire, its water supplies poisoned. Kefka was apparently responsible.

Narshe had gotten nervous. With South Figaro and Doma fallen to the Gestahl Empire, they were looking to, if not ally themselves with the Returners outright, then to at least listen to Banon more. Once they had snuck in, they managed to get an audience. At least now, the story about Terra's brainwashing had been accepted, unlike last time.

Jamie and Terra had spent the last few days getting to know each other better. They had spoken of their respective pasts before while travelling, but now, they had just enough time to relax a little. Terra was thankfully coming to terms with the fact that she was half-human, half-Esper, especially as Jamie, Edgar, and Banon had readily accepted her as such.

After a moment, Terra remarked, "I wonder what actually happened to my parents? I mean, if I am half-Esper, how did I come to be?"

"I don't know. The legends I know of from the War of the Magi suggest that the Espers hid themselves away in another world. Presumably, there's a way to get there. And given what you remembered Kefka, Gestahl and Cid saying, the Empire must have raided it," Edgar pointed out. "So they know, somehow."

"And that Sassenach Kefka wanted that pendant badly," Jamie pointed out. "Maybe that has something to do with the Espers' home."

"True," Terra said quietly. "Valigarmanda, as you called the Esper, Jamie, called me the daughter of Maduin. He said Maduin was my father. My mother must've been a human. In all likelihood, she is dead. And my father…he is probably a prisoner in Cid's laboratory."

"Once we have you communicate with Valigarmanda, we'll make infiltrating Vector a priority," Edgar said. "Especially if the Doctor's TARDIS is so valuable."

"Och, it is," Jamie said as the door to Arvis' house was opened. "The TARDIS is a time machine. It can go anywhere in time and space. Problem is, the Doctor's nae good at steering it."

"Actually, I've become quite adept at it, Jamie," came a familiar voice. Jamie, Terra, and Edgar found that the Doctor, Locke, and Rachel were there, along with a blonde-haired woman wearing a cape over a revealing leotard. She didn't seem to notice the cold of Narshe that much, though. Indeed, she had an almost regal attitude. This was a woman used to commanding armies, Jamie knew.

The blonde woman blinked, and then stared. "So you no longer have that Slave Crown on you, Terra."

Terra, who recognised the woman, eventually nodded. "And you seem to have defected from the Empire, Celes."

"Celes? General Celes?" Edgar asked in disbelief.

"Indeed, King Edgar. It seems we've both fallen from our original stations, though you'd have a better chance of regaining your own," Celes said. Her eyes went over to Jamie. "You must be Jamie, the Doctor's friend. Thanks for helping Terra. She didn't deserve what happened to her."

Jamie was wary. Okay, she was a pretty lass like Terra, but he also knew from what Terra had said that she was also not only a general of the Gestahl Empire, but a Magitek Knight, her powers coming from an Esper. The Doctor, sensing his hostility, said, "Jamie, she objected to the mass-murder of the people of Doma, and was tortured for her troubles. They intended to rape and kill her too."

Jamie winced at the thought. "I can understand your lack of trust, Jamie McCrimmon," Celes said. "I won't ask you to trust me wholeheartedly."

"Can we trust her, Doctor?" Edgar asked.

"For the time being at least, yes," the Doctor said. "Celes fought for the Empire when she believed in its ideals, not for the massacre of innocents. And as much as I detest the military, I can respect soldiers who fight for an ideal or to defend their country than for the sake of killing."

"I hope you're right, Doctor," Jamie said.

"Is there any news of Doma?" Celes asked. "Has Kefka poisoned it?"

Edgar nodded solemnly. "I'm afraid he has. There're few survivors, but the King is dead. It happened shortly after General Leo left command to Kefka, apparently."

"Damn," Celes said bitterly. "Kefka bragged about his plans to me. I know he was looking for an excuse to get me out of favour with the Emperor. When I objected, he immediately ordered my arrest for treason. It took them some time to stop me, though, and it was only Kefka's lack of honour or scruples that had me defeated."

"Kefka fights dirty," Locke remarked. "We've established this already."

The Doctor nodded, before he went over to Edgar. "Edgar, if I may have a moment of your time. I want your help on something. Locke was telling me that you were something of a gadgeteer, and that you had a special weapon known as a Noiseblaster."

Edgar nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, given that the Empire wants the Esper here so badly, I think we need to stop them. As it happens, I've dealt with soundwaves and their applications for some time."

Edgar smiled as he got up, and followed the Doctor to a corner of the room, fishing out his Noiseblaster. As they spoke quietly, Celes, Locke, and Rachel took the opportunity to sit down. "So you've joined the Returners then, Celes?" Terra asked, a wary hope in her tone.

"I am, for now," Celes said. "The Empire wants me dead, or at least Kefka. I am sure the Emperor has believed Kefka when that clown claimed I was a traitor. You, they'd just recapture and put another Slave Crown on your head. But I won't be so lucky. Knowing Kefka's tastes, he'd make my death long and drawn out. So, for the time being, the Returners have my sword to call on. At the very least, if I die, it will be in a blaze of glory than the ignominy of being violated and tortured before I am given the mercy of death."

"Even so, I'm not sure the Returners will like you being here," Arvis said, bringing over some tea. "Especially after what happened to Doma. I'm certainly not happy with this."

"Think of it this way: with me on your side, you will have not one mage, but two," Celes said. "My specialty is in Ice magic. And while that may not be of use to the monsters here, it may be of use against any invaders. I also know the weaknesses of Magitek Armour, as well as the tactical signature of Kefka, who will be the most likely commander sent here."

"Kefka uses tactics?" Locke asked, sceptical.

"The lowest of the low, but yes. He tends to try and overwhelm the enemy with psychological warfare and deceptive attacks," Celes said. "And as Doma demonstrated, he's more than willing to murder innocents to attain his goals. He has no honour or even any sense of morality."

"Says the Ice Queen of Maranda, who conscripted the male populace into the Gestahl Empire," Arvis retorted, only for Celes to stand, and stride over to him, slamming him into the wall.

"I didn't demand the conscription of the men of Maranda, as useful as it was to the Empire!" she snapped. "I conquered Maranda with less bloodshed than most battles in history, despite what popular perception would tell you. I don't like taking lives unless I have to! But I am a soldier, and that means that I have to take lives inevitably! Do you think I enjoyed conquering Maranda? The answer is yes, but not for the reason you'd think! I enjoyed it because few people died on either side. I was happy, but I didn't let anyone see me smile, in case they thought I was like Kefka, enjoying war! So don't you dare judge me, _old man_. You don't know me any more than I know you." With that, Celes released Arvis and sat back down.

"I hate to say it, but she has a point," Rachel said. "We don't know that much about each other, do we?" She looked over at Terra. "Locke told me more about you, Terra. I'm sorry about what you went through."

"A lot of people are saying that," Terra said.

"Doesn't mean they're insincere," Rachel said. "Anyway, the amount of sabotage and chaos we managed to stir in South Figaro, the Empire will have a hard time mobilising." She turned to Jamie. "Your friend, the Doctor, is quite the troublemaker. I'm glad he's on our side."

"Och, he attracts trouble. Or he ends up in it," Jamie said. "He's got a knack."

The Doctor chose that moment to come over. "I think Edgar can handle the changes I want to make to his Noiseblaster. Terra, are you ready to try and communicate with the Esper?"

Terra nodded, a little hesitantly. "The sooner, the better, right?"

The Doctor nodded in return. Arvis then said, "Banon told me about you, the Doctor, right? He's still negotiating with the Elder of Narshe."

"There isn't time," the Doctor said, the door opening and closing behind him. "The Empire will be mobilizing to attack Narshe before long to capture the Esper. If we can find a way to get the Esper on our side before then, it means that Narshe has another means of fighting back. I'd sooner not see Narshe get caught in the crossfire between the Empire and the Returners."

"Well said, Doctor," Banon said from behind them, an elderly man in tow. "As it happens, the Elder has graciously agreed to let a small party be escorted to the Esper, while the others remain in town. Partly to guarantee good behaviour, and partly to help set up the defences of Narshe. Jamie will be hard to get away from Terra, and as Edgar is trying to work on the defences, I will go." He then noticed Celes. "General Celes…" he murmured.

"She's not with the Empire now," Locke said. "They were torturing her and preparing to execute her, for speaking out against Kefka poisoning Doma."

Banon seemed cautious, but he accepted this. "Indeed? Well, we have some welcome news out of that mess. Sabin was there, and he recently sent a carrier pigeon from Mobliz. He has recruited a samurai knight from Doma, General Cyan Garamonde, personal retainer to the late King, as well as a feral boy by the name of Gau. Both are talented fighters." He then looked at Celes. "My apologies, General Celes, but I will be having my people keep an eye on you. Doctor, will you accompany me to the Esper?"

"I fully intended to anyway," the Doctor said. "I'm able to understand most known languages of the universe, even if this is a different one."

* * *

The quintet trudged up the mountain paths, towards where the people of Narshe had moved the frozen Esper. Banon, Jamie, Terra, Arvis and the Doctor, escorted by a fairly large detachment of Narshe's militia.

"If you know all these languages, Doctor, shouldn't you go first?" Jamie asked.

"Locke told me of what happened, Jamie," the Doctor said. "Apparently, you yourself saw the Esper reacting to Terra, as well as disintegrating two Magitek Armour riders. Terra may be our best chance of making a good impression."

"But the Esper, Valigarmanda, he spoke to me, y'know, telepathically," Jamie said.

"Yes, but Terra…may be our best hope of negotiating with it. If not, well, stand back, and admire…"

"…Your diplomatic skills, aye, I remember," Jamie remarked(1).

They soon came to the frozen Esper, near a precipice. Terra, with only a moment's hesitation, began walking up to it. As she did so, the Esper began to pulse with blue light. Even from where the others were standing, they could feel the power coming off it, a power that could have flung them off the cliffs if they themselves approached. But Terra was unaffected. Indeed, she began to be surrounded by a pulsing aura of her own.

"Look at that," the Doctor breathed quietly in awe. "The Esper and Terra…they're reacting to each other. Their power is resonating."

"Doctor…look at Terra," Jamie hissed. He realised that Terra seemed to be in distress. Not quite pain, but a sort of extreme discomfort.

Suddenly, with a scream of what could have been pain, or release, Terra… _changed_. A flare of pink light dazzled them briefly, before they stared at what Terra had changed into. Many of those present did so in fear.

It was undeniably Terra. The figure had her features. But she was now completely naked, her skin glowing with fuchsia light that waxed and waned. Her body had become vaguely bestial, her hair now a massive mane, her eyes glowing pink, tufts of fur on her elbows, her hands and feet now clawed paws. Despite all this, she actually still looked beautiful, in a strange way.

And she looked on the verge of a panic. She was staring in horror at her body, when the Doctor spoke. "Terra?" Her head snapped up, staring at them. "It's all right. It's a new body, it takes getting used to. Believe me, I speak from experience. Are you in pain?"

After a moment, she said, her voice slightly distorted by her transformation, "No…there's no pain. Why isn't there pain? What am I?"

"Monster!" hissed one of the Narshe militia men. Jamie, the Doctor, and Banon all glared at him.

Then, Jamie said, "You're nae a monster, Terra. Don't listen to this stupid Sassenach. He doesn't ken what he's talking about. You're Terra Branford!" He began walking towards her. For a moment, she cringed back, looking like she intended to bolt, only for Jamie to put a hand to her face. It felt warm. "See? You're nae a monster. I wouldn't do this to a monster." He then hugged her. She emitted a squeak of surprise, before relaxing a little.

Eventually, the Doctor and Banon, along with a few of the braver Narshe militia members, approached them. The Doctor remarked rather pointedly to Valigarmanda, "That was a very traumatic awakening. She nearly got overcome by her own power and fear of what she was."

To the minds of all those present, Valigarmanda responded, _She needs the power for what lies ahead, Doctor. You and Jamie already helped her by revealing her heritage to her, a heritage I had hinted at when I last tried to commune with her. And as for myself…the end for me is nigh. My body has wasted away within this ice, even if it doesn't seem so. And there is a secret to the Espers and their power: when we die, we leave behind a gem known as Magicite, and humans can draw upon our power from our remains, even if they lack the innate ability to use magic. I willingly give this to you. Break the ice, Doctor._ _ **Set me free**_.

The Doctor, after a moment, nodded. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver, and adjusted it, before activating it. A shrill whirring filled the air, with cracks spreading across the ice, before it shattered. Valigarmanda, freed after centuries of imprisonment, moved and let out one last shriek…before it faded in a cloud of blue sparkles. At its core formed a green stone, about the size of a cricket ball, but oblong in shape, with a strange fire-like formation in the middle of the stone.

The Doctor walked over, and plucked the Magicite off the snowy ground. "A focus for Artron Energy," he breathed in awe. "Exotic matter forming the remains of an Esper with memetic triggers for both summoning forth the spirit of the Esper, along with projections of energy, spells if you will. Banon, Valigarmanda has agreed to help the Returners."

Banon nodded, but his attention, along with that of the Doctor's, went back to Terra, who was all but clinging to Jamie. Not that Jamie minded. In fact, after the initial shock, he didn't really feel any fear. Terra was Terra, no matter what she looked like. And he wanted to help her get through this, no matter what…

 **CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Another chapter down, with Terra unlocking her first Trance early…and managing to avoid fleeing. She'll be in her Trance form for a while, though. As in canon, she's yet unable to control it, and even when she falls out of this first Trance, she'll be unable to control when the transformation occurs until they get Maduin. The next chapter will come out before long too.**

 **1\. This derives from a bit of dialogue in** ** _Doctor Who: The Two Doctors_** **, where the Doctor tells Jamie to sit back and admire his diplomatic skills, something Jamie parrots, having apparently heard it before. Later, after the Doctor has a blazing row with Dastari, and demands to know why Jamie is smiling, Jamie merely says, "Just admiring your diplomatic skills."**


	8. Chapter 7: The Attack on Narshe

**CHAPTER 7:**

 **THE ATTACK ON NARSHE**

Celes stared at Terra when she re-entered Arvis' house. Well, Celes was far from the only one to do so, but it was Celes who broke the silence first. "Terra? Is that you?"

Terra nodded tentatively. While walking back, she seemed to need time to get used to her new body. At one point, she began hovering off the ground, though she had halted once they reached the town. Even so, she had to bear the stares and whispers of the people who saw her. Jamie had stuck close to her, acting as her shield.

Celes' eyes were wide. Again, nothing special, considering that almost everyone present was doing the same. Edgar was peering at her, fascinated, not just by her exotic beauty post-transformation, but also by the transformation itself. "Well, I always knew there was something special about you," Edgar said. "I just didn't know how special. Hey, Doctor, is this because she's half-Esper?"

"It seems like it," the Doctor said, frowning. "In fact, it seems very familiar. That Artron Energy signature…it's not dissimilar to that when a Time Lord regenerates. But different, like she has a different body in a metastable transformation. It's like she's a rubber band in that form, able to snap back to her original form, once she gets used to changing back."

The Elder of Narshe was frowning. "And to think the Empire had someone like this under their control. Terrifying. What of the Esper?"

"Dead, for a given value of dead," the Doctor said, proffering the Magicite. "But it gave us this. Magicite."

The Elder blinked, and then peered closely at it. "I have heard of Magicite. In the War of the Magi, some Magi actually took the Esper's powers by killing them, and using their remains, the Magicite. According to lore, Magicite could allow the wielder to call forth the spirit of the Esper to aid them in battle, as well as learn magic. I had thought it a fairy tale."

"It's very real," the Doctor said. "I'm hoping we don't need this, frankly. Hopefully, the modifications to the Noiseblaster will force most if not all of the Empire's forces to retreat when they advance on Narshe."

"But what are you actually doing, Doctor?" Rachel asked.

Jamie frowned when he remembered something. "Is this like what Victoria said you did with the Ice Warriors? I was lucky I was unconscious at the time, Penley got hit with it, and said it was like the worst hangover he ever got(1)."

"You're on the right track, Jamie," the Doctor said. "I was pressed for time, though, and the Ice Warriors' Sonic Cannon wasn't designed to be a non-lethal weapon. The Noiseblaster, however, is. Edgar developed it as a means to incapacitate enemies rather than kill them outright. What I'm doing is boosting the power, and tweaking the frequencies involved. Have any of you heard of the Brown Note?" On seeing their shaking heads, the Doctor said, "Well, on Earth, it's a myth that certain infrasonic frequencies can cause a person exposed to them to, well, to put it delicately, soil themselves. Some frequencies can actually cause nausea and disorientation, true, but not involuntary defecation. What I can do is to modify two sets of frequencies. The first is to disorientate soldiers. The second is a resonance frequency that can disable Magitek Armour. When we fought the Tunnel Armour, I found a frequency on the sonic screwdriver that interfered with the commands. I can make it so that both sets of sound waves do not interfere with each other, but rather, strengthen each other. It would cause chaos in whatever army Kefka brings to Narshe. Thankfully, Edgar seemed to understand the general principles when I explained exactly what I wanted to do."

"So, it won't kill them," Celes said. "It will merely disorientate them. That would work on the bulk of the army, true, but Kefka is another matter. He's insane, and I wouldn't be surprised if he was a masochist along with being a sadist. He might be able to shrug off your attack. And Kefka is a force of nature unto himself."

"We have you, and Terra," Banon said. "And we have the Magicite. With all three, the odds are, if not actually in our favour, then at least more in favour of us than they had been. We'll work on the defence of Narshe while we still have time."

* * *

In a quiet corner of Arvis' house, Jamie sat next to the apprehensive Terra. Her apprehension, she knew, was not wholly due to the upcoming battle, rather, due more to her transformation. She had barely hung on to her sanity when she first transformed. Only the Doctor and Jamie's words stopped her from fleeing, Jamie was sure. And even now, her body was coiled with power, as if she was still on the verge of flight.

"You okay?" Jamie asked quietly.

Terra frowned, before she said, her voice still slightly distorted by her transformation, "I feel…strange. And yet…it feels like I should be this way. But it's like I'm a baby still learning to walk. Even now, I'm afraid that if I so much as raise a hand the wrong way, I'd destroy this house, and most of Narshe with it." She peered at her clawed hands. "Jamie…I'm not a monster, am I?"

"Och, no. I mean, you're not a monster inside. And even outside, you're actually kind of cute," Jamie said. Okay, he hadn't had the best of attitudes to some aliens he had encountered, but Terra was certainly an exception. At least she wasn't trying to kill him. "Anyway, weren't Espers human once?"

She nodded. "So the legends say. It's just…I feel like I could fly forever. All this power…I'm barely keeping a lid on it. It was only you and the Doctor who prevented me from flying away in sheer shock. And…I think I can hear someone calling me. Another Esper. I can hear his voice, faintly, beckoning to me."

"Oh aye?"

"Yes. Even now, he speaks to me. His name is Ramuh, and he is at Zozo. That's a town to the southwest. I once read an atlas out of boredom back home," Terra said. "Zozo is apparently an infamous den of criminals. I might head there after we've defended Narshe."

"Aye, well, I'm with you to the end, Terra," Jamie said. "I dinnae care what you look like…"

* * *

A couple of days passed, and Terra, under the watchful eye of the others, got used to her transformed state. She soon learned how to fly, something that Jamie could see gave her great joy. She even began to use that state to fling spells at monsters roaming the mountain, learning new spells from Valigarmanda's Magicite in the process, something the others, including Locke, Rachel, Celes and Jamie did as well.

Meanwhile, Rachel and Locke contacted the Moogles living in the Narshe mines, and they agreed to help with the defence of Narshe. And after a brief scouting flight, two days after she transformed, Terra returned with news both good and bad. The bad news was, a small but still substantial part of the Gestahl Imperial Army was massing in the desert. The good news was, Sabin had just arrived, and was even now hurrying back with two newcomers in tow.

Celes was gaining more acceptance with the Returners: she told them many things about Magitek Armour and its weaknesses, though she held some things back. She did tell the Returners and Narshe militia, those who had rifles, where to aim on Magitek Armour to take advantage of weak spots in the armour.

Sabin arrived at Arvis' house, accompanied by two contrasting figures. One was a dignified-looking middle-aged man with long dark hair drawn back in a ponytail, a moustache, and an aquiline face. The other was a tanned boy in his early teens, with a wild shock of green hair, and wearing animal skins that looked tattered, moving on all fours.

"Sabin!" Edgar exclaimed, from where he was making last-minute adjustments to the Noiseblaster. "How are you?"

"Fine, considering," Sabin said. "And I got some new people willing to fight with the Returners. This is Sir Cyan Garamonde of Doma, and Gau."

Cyan, the middle-aged man, bowed slightly. "My sword is at the command of the Returners." His dark eyes ran over the inhabitants, until they saw Celes. "But hold, is that not General Celes Chere?"

"She defected," Locke said. "She protested against the poisoning of Doma, and Kefka sentenced her to death."

"Even if what thou say is true, she is the one responsible for the decimation of Maranda," Cyan protested, his hand sliding his katana out of its sheath.

Terra then made herself known. "I used to be a soldier of the Empire, even if it was against my will. Would you kill me as well?" she asked, striding forward.

Cyan's eyes widened. "What in the name of perdition are you?"

Sabin, meanwhile, stared, his face showing recognition. "Terra?" he murmured in disbelief.

"Terra? The mage you spoke of?" Cyan asked Sabin.

"Yeah, but she's…different."

"It's a long story," the Doctor said, coming forward. "Terra's Esper heritage has brought forth this transformation. Although it's not permanent as far as I can tell, it has boosted her ability to use magic, or at least what this world calls magic. It's still Terra standing there. This form is as part of her as your muscles are to you, Sabin." He looked over at Cyan. "I was the one who persuaded Celes to defect when she was resigned to being executed. I take responsibility for her, Sir Cyan."

"Art thou the Doctor whom Sabin spoke of?" Cyan asked.

"Yes. And I would thank you to sheathe your sword, because if you threaten me, then my friend Jamie might bury his dirk in you, and as we need every man we can get, that would not end well," the Doctor said, with Jamie looking over at Cyan pointedly.

After a moment, Cyan slid the katana back into its sheathe. "Very well," Cyan said. "While I am no stranger to combat, better to bury my blade in that I know to be a foe than a possible ally." He glared at Celes. "But do not repay my indulgence with treachery, General, for should I live, I guarantee thou shall not."

"Thou! Thou!" barked Gau. "Mr Thou!" He then peered at Terra. "Pretty pink lady?"

"He's like that," Sabin said. "He's smarter than he seems, but he's still very much a kid with a mischievous streak a mile wide. Anyway, the Imperial forces are on their way here, they'll be here within an hour."

"Just as well I'm finished with this, then," Edgar said, rising with the Noiseblaster at the ready. "We'd better get ready."

* * *

The main parts of the defence plan was as follows: once the Imperials were within optimal range of the modified Noiseblaster, Edgar would let it rip. While confusion reigned in the Imperial forces from the disorienting effects of the Noiseblaster, Terra would fly overhead, out of range of the weapons of the Imperials, and use magic. She still had qualms about killing, so she would instead try to disable vehicles or promote panic, while avoiding being hit by the Imperials. Celes, Jamie, Locke and Rachel would use magic as artillery rather more directly, with Rachel being chosen to actually wield the Magicite with Valigarmanda, as she had the largest reserves (barring Celes and Terra, but Celes wasn't trusted, and Terra intended to use magic while in her mobile Esper form). Snipers would attack the Magitek Armour at its weak points. With any luck, the Imperials would retreat long before they reached Narshe proper. But Kefka was another matter.

Jamie found it odd. He had learned how to do magic. Magic. Okay, the Doctor called it Block Transfer Computation modulation via Artron Energy, but magic was a decent shorthand. Back home, they'd probably hang him, or burn him, as a witch. And yet, with a thought, he could conjure up fire or use ice or lightning.

Soon, the Imperials were within range, the colourful form of Kefka at the head of the forces, and the Doctor and Edgar activated the Noiseblaster. Even behind the device's blast, Jamie felt sick from the inaudible sounds that nonetheless had a presence, a rumble in the pit of the stomach. The soldiers reeled and swayed, many vomiting. Even Kefka was affected.

And then, Terra swooped overhead. The Noiseblaster's blast was modulated to sweep the horizon, but not go into the sky. As long as Terra stayed above a certain height, she wouldn't be affected. She sent fireballs in amongst the troops. That was Jamie's cue, along with the others, to start firing their own spells. Jamie and Locke, only having relatively paltry magical reserves, could only fire off a few spells that they learned from Valigarmanda, who taught rather high-level spells. Celes fired off rather powerful spells more often, freezing many of the soldiers in ice.

Then, Rachel unleashed the really big guns: Valigarmanda himself. The strange snake-bird hybrid swooped out of the sky in a flare of light, unleashing an attack known as Tri-Disaster.

It was that that sparked a retreat in disarray. While the Imperial forces were substantial, they were a relatively small portion of the Imperial army, and being attacked by both magic and disorienting sound waves proved to be too much. For the first time in a long time, the Imperial Army retreated in a very undignified manner, much less than at Doma. Kefka had screamed obscenities at them, demanding them to come back lest they be branded as deserters, only to be caught by a Thundaga spell Terra hit him with. The clown-like mage had convulsed, then fallen to the ground, unconscious. And with the assault by the Noiseblaster turned off as the device began to overload, Terra swooped in and captured Kefka, flying him back to Narshe's defenders.

* * *

"What do we do with him?" Sabin asked as they looked at Kefka, who had been promptly tied up by Jamie (the Doctor making a remark that he had better have improved his knot-tying skills(2)).

"Is it not clear?" Cyan said. "We execute him for his crimes."

"Wait," the Doctor said. "Leaving aside the fact that I would prefer not to kill an unarmed man in cold blood, he may have information I need, where exactly my TARDIS is, and whether they have managed to open it up. He may also know the particulars about the Magitek process, something the Returners would find valuable."

This caused an eruption of debate and argument, interrupted only by Terra's eyes rolling into the back of her head. She swooned, and fainted. Jamie caught her as she fell. "Terra! Doctor, what happened to her?!"

The Doctor blinked as Terra transformed again, changing back to her human form, complete with her clothes, her pendant sliding out from her cleavage. He swiftly checked her vitals. "Nothing too serious," the Doctor said quietly. "She's just exhausted, as far as I can tell. She just needs rest." He then frowned, and examined the pendant, before he paled. "Wait a moment…"

"Doctor?" Jamie asked.

"…I've seen this somewhere before," the Doctor said.

Jamie looked at the pendant. It looked like a blue stone, almost like lapis lazuli, in the vague shape of an eye, set into a mirror-like setting. "What do you mean?" Jamie asked.

The Doctor murmured, "If they're here…then things are truly appalling. This whole world, set up in another realm…for their entertainment."

"Stop speaking in riddles, man!" Celes snapped. "What is the significance of that pendant that has you worried?"

"That pendant, Celes, is an artifact meant to help protect people against the power of certain entities," the Doctor said, standing up. "I only hope that I'm wrong, because if I'm right, then this world is a playground of the Gods of Ragnarok."

 **CHAPTER 7 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Well, there you have it. The plot's moving along, and has finally diverged significantly from the story of** ** _Final Fantasy VI_** **. Not only that, but the hidden players behind this world have been revealed.**

 **The Gods of Ragnarok are not OCs. They appeared in one of the last stories of the classic series,** ** _The Greatest Show in the Galaxy_** **. I was actually struggling to think of** ** _Doctor Who_** **villains behind this world. I thought of the Daemons, the Celestial Toymaker, even Omega. I eventually decided on the Gods of Ragnarok.**

 **1\. Jamie is referring, of course, to events in the last episode of** ** _The Ice Warriors_** **. He was unconscious during that incident, so presumably he wasn't affected as much by the sound blast the Doctor unleashed.**

 **2\. A reference to a time where Jamie tied cable onto the lid of a Cyberman recharging chamber in** ** _The Tomb of the Cybermen_** **in order to trap the Cybercontroller. Sadly, it was not enough.**


	9. Chapter 8: Kefka and the Doctor

**CHAPTER 8:**

 **KEFKA AND THE DOCTOR**

Kefka was soon secured in the basement of one of the houses in Narshe, with Celes giving advice on what medicines to give to him to keep his magic reserves low. Terra woke after a fairly short period, and soon, the main figures of the Returners convened in Arvis' house to hear what the Doctor had to say.

The Doctor looked at them all. "Your world exists in a pocket universe, one of many I have encountered. After what I have seen, it is my belief that it is an artificial one, and that you all have been brought from Earth. That Jamie ended up here by accident is no coincidence. I believe that the architects of this world have siphoned people from Earth, and if my theory is correct, then they did so for their own entertainment."

"Who are the Gods of Ragnarok?" Jamie asked.

"Ancient beings from before our universe existed, Jamie. They, along with a selection of others, left their own universe before it died, and managed to enter our own, but because the laws of physics differed between universes, they had vast powers. Remember the Great Intelligence, Jamie? I believe that to be one of them. I've encountered many. The Animus, Fenric, Azathoth(1)…all ancient and terrible entities who do not care about mortal lives. The Gods of Ragnarok are amongst the worst, forcing people to entertain them, or die. They either feed from the entertainment, or feed off the souls of their victims. The Land of Fiction was a creation of theirs, Jamie(2). I'm not certain of their presence here, but that pendant, the last time I saw that was on Segonax, where I confronted the Gods of Ragnarok for what I thought to be the last time(3). And given that there are three deities in the Warring Triad…"

Banon frowned. "But the ancient tales told of conflict between the Warring Triad, Doctor. They created Espers to fight for them true, but they stopped their conflict when they saw how much they had destroyed the world."

"Not for altruistic reasons, I'd venture," the Doctor said. "The Gods of Ragnarok may have done so to prevent their resources from being destroyed too quickly. It seems they've learned patience since we last met. Or perhaps the legends got it wrong: perhaps the Warring Triad were actually sealed away by the Espers or the Magi, or even both. Maybe some of the Espers themselves know."

"…Doctor…I think I know where we can find more Espers," Terra said hesitantly. "While I was transformed, I heard the voice of another Esper called Ramuh. He resides at Zozo."

"The priority is Vector, though," the Doctor mused. "At the very least, we need to retrieve the TARDIS, as well as rescue any Espers still being experimented on."

"Getting into Vector will be tough, Doctor," Celes pointed out. "The Empire has effectively closed any harbours on our continent to all boats, save for those with military business. The only way over the ocean might be by airship, and those are very rare. I only know of one offhand, owned by the wandering gambler Setzer Gabbiani. I've heard rumours that he frequents Jidoor, which isn't far from Zozo."

"We'll head to Zozo first, then," Locke said. "If there are Espers willing to help us there, we should see what help they can bring."

"We'd better split our forces, in case the Empire makes another attempt on Narshe," Banon said. "I will stay."

"So will I," Edgar said.

"And me," Sabin added.

"I shall stay as well," Cyan declared.

"I will go with whoever wishes to go to Vector," Celes declared. "You may not trust me, but I know a lot about the Magitek Laboratories. Assuming my access codes haven't been revoked, I can help us through. And I want to ensure that Cid survives."

"I'll go too," Terra said. "I want to stop the Empire from exploiting the Espers."

"Wherever you go, I go," Jamie declared.

"I'll go too, as the TARDIS is at Vector," the Doctor said.

"I'm coming too," Rachel said. "And Locke's an experienced thief, he'll go."

"Not a thief, a treasure hunter," Locke protested, albeit in a sullen murmur.

"Very well," Banon said. "May good fortune smile upon us all."

* * *

A few hours later, the Doctor was in the basement where Kefka was being kept. Celes was with him, Jamie and Terra standing in the door, unwilling to get closer to the insane clown, who nonetheless appeared to be unconscious still.

"Don't pretend to be asleep," the Doctor said, his usually warm eyes now hardened. "I know when someone is pretending to be asleep."

A chuckle wormed its way from the clown's lips. His eyes then snapped open, fixing the Doctor with a baleful glare. "Ooh, this is new. I remember the reports about you. A man answering to your description, walking out of a blue box in Kohlingen that just appeared out of nowhere. Making a noise like two elephants fucking."

"I am the Doctor, and that blue box is my property," the Doctor said.

"Not anymore," Kefka said, sneering back. "It's now the property of the Gestahl Empire."

"I beg to differ," the Doctor said. "Is it at the Magitek Labs?"

"Ooh, Doctor Cid's Devil's Lab," Kefka leered. "You'll never be able to get it."

"I've broken into secure facilities more often than you've had hot dinners," the Doctor retorted. "You're not the first person to try to take the TARDIS from me. And I doubt you'll be the last."

"TARDIS? What a stupid name!" Kefka laughed jeeringly. "Don't you mean a TURDIS? Is it like a portable toilet(4)?"

"Shut up, Kefka," Celes snapped.

"Traitors can't give me orders!" Kefka sneered back.

"If the Emperor condones the poisoning of Doma, then I will sever ties with him for good," Celes said. "Better to be a traitor, than to be a mad dog who should have been put down long ago."

Kefka laughed. "If you were going to put me down, you goody two-shoes would have done it after you captured me." His eyes flickered over to Terra and Jamie. "Ah, my sweet little songbird, Terra. And her would-be guardian."

"His name is Jamie," the Doctor said. "He's an old friend of mine. And speaking of Terra…what goes on in the Magitek Laboratories? Do they extract magic from Espers?"

"Ooh, sharp one, aren't you? Yes, we do. We managed to capture a bunch of them some years ago…as well as Terra here," Kefka hissed. "She was but a babe in the arms of her mother, who had suffered injuries when she was caught just outside the entrance to the Esper Realm. Gestahl took you wailing from your mommy's arms as she died, painfully and slowly. I was there at the time, a lowly grunt sent to capture the Espers. I remembered one crying out your name…a rather horny guy, well, horned. Maduin…he was crying, 'Terra! Terra!' over and over again. Oh, it was tiresome. Even now, I think he still does it while in the Magitek Labs."

"You're a monster," Terra said emphatically.

"I'M a monster?" Kefka laughed jeeringly again. "Like I haven't heard that one before! Besides, at least I'm a monster who is honest about what he is. Whereas look at you, Terra. A monster in a covering of human skin. You're a freak, just like me, a miscegenated half-breed creature whose only use in life is as a weapon, either for the Empire, or for the Returners."

"You bastard," Celes snarled, slapping Kefka, who merely laughed.

Terra, however, glared at Kefka, gathering her courage, before saying, "Maybe the Returners are using me…but at least they didn't force a Slave Crown onto me, like you did, you evil, twisted little man. If you didn't have the Magitek process used on you, what would you be? Nothing."

"So would Celes," Kefka sneered.

"Celes is worth a hundred of you," Terra retorted. "At least she doesn't destroy people's lives just to laugh at their passing. People have died because of you."

"That's what people **_DO(_** ** _5)_** ** _!_** " Kefka enunciated that sentence like someone trying to explain things to a dense child, only to scream the last word. "They died because I _wanted_ them to, screaming in agony! I kill them because it pleases me! And if the Emperor is pleased, then that's a welcome bonus! I kill, therefore I am! There is no sweeter music than the agonised screams of people en masse!" As they glared at him, he laughed. "The thing is, I am a monster. But I'm an honest monster. It is humanity who is at fault for not realising that their true nature is monstrosity. I can see it in your eyes. All of your eyes. Especially yours, Doctor Whoever the Hell You Are. Oh yes, I see it in your eyes. You've killed a lot more than anyone else in this room, even me. How many? Oh, wait. I can tell how many. So many, you've lost count. I can smell the stink of blood on your hands. So much, it'll never wash off. You're worse than me."

The Doctor glared down at Kefka, before asking, "I may have killed more people than you ever have, Kefka, but I have tried to save so many more. I. Am. _The Doctor_. I chose that name as a promise to myself. And I have never gone out of my way to be cruel or cowardly." He turned and left the basement, but not before offering a parting shot as Celes followed him. "And you have worse taste in clothing than I ever did."

"Oh, I am mortally wounded!" Kefka wailed dramatically. But his jeering laughter followed them as they left the basement.

* * *

As they walked along the streets of Narshe, Celes looked at the Doctor. "Kefka really rattled you, didn't he?"

"He isn't wholly wrong," the Doctor admitted grudgingly. "It's true, I have caused more deaths than he ever has…but I've tried not to. In any case, I'm over 900 years old. That's more than enough time to cause more deaths than he ever could hope to match in a human lifetime. But…I've tried my best to save people too. As I get older, I find it harder and harder not to be haunted by those I failed to save…and those who I sent to their deaths."

"Och, but those were monsters like the Daleks or the Cybermen," Jamie said.

"Not all of them, Jamie," the Doctor said. "Remember Shockeye o' the Quawncing Grig? I killed him with cyanide."

"Aye, but he wanted to eat me and Peri," Jamie protested(6).

Terra's eyes widened, and Celes raised an eyebrow. "It sounds like you did the world a service, Doctor," Celes said.

"Even so, he was an intelligent, if rapacious and sociopathic being, Chessene even more so. I don't actually regret their deaths, but I feel the weight of them. I also wish I could've saved Dastari from his own creation," the Doctor said. "Kefka is a canny opponent. He may be a madman, but he's got a brilliant brain behind the madness, and he can discern what buttons to press. We need to head to Vector soon to retrieve the TARDIS. I didn't get what I wanted, and I doubt Kefka would surrender the information anyway."

"You said you have been to other worlds, Doctor," Celes said. "Is the TARDIS like an airship that can go to another world?"

After a moment, the Doctor said, "It's a time machine. The name is an acronym for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space(7). It can go to any world in the universe, and to any point in that world's existence. And before you ask, there are certain limitations on how much I can change history. I can't go back in time and, say, kill Kefka or the Emperor, not without severe damage to the timelines of this world. As you can imagine, leaving it in the hands of the Empire could be potentially catastrophic. And with the Gods of Ragnarok involved on this world, the danger is only greater."

"They're that bad?" Terra asked.

After a moment, the Doctor said, "Imagine a trio of Kefkas, albeit with less aspects of a monster clown. Imagine the utter lack of empathy, the desire for people to die for their entertainment. And imagine those with the powers of gods."

After a brief pause, Celes remarked archly, "Thank you, Doctor, as I had gotten tired of being asleep at night."

"Horror is a sane response, Celes. I promise you, once I get the TARDIS back, I won't be abandoning this world to the Gods of Ragnarok. This world may have been their little playground, but no more. I refuse to let them play games with your lives, or the consequences of their actions allowing monsters like Kefka to rise. Maybe they were sealed away by their victims, or maybe they are acting as spectators on this world, watching it unfold. Whatever influence they have over this world, I will end, I promise you that. You are people, not toys for their entertainment."

"Is this what you do, Doctor? Go around, fighting gods and monsters, as part of a personal crusade?" Celes asked.

"It's a promise I made to myself," the Doctor said. "I made it when I took up this name, even though it took a couple of humans for me to truly realise it. Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton. There are times when I have to let people die for the sake of history…but today's not that day. We'd better get ready to head to Zozo. Time is of the essence…"

 **CHAPTER 8 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Well, another chapter down. Hopefully, the next one, which will be set at Zozo, will focus more on Terra and Jamie. The Doctor does have a tendency to interfere with the story. He's good at interfering.**

 **1\. The theory that these entities were from another universe was first posited in Andy Lane's novel** ** _All-Consuming Fire_** **, recently adapted by Big Finish.** ** _All-Consuming Fire_** **, incidentally, is a crossover between** ** _Doctor Who_** **and Sherlock Holmes, believe it or not, and remains, if not the best novel done of the series, then a firm favourite for me. Azathoth was the villain of that particular story. The Great Intelligence met the Doctor and Jamie in** ** _The Abominable Snowmen_** **and** ** _The Web of Fear_** **, and returned to the TV series in the 2012 Christmas special,** ** _The Snowmen_** **. Fenric appeared in** ** _The Curse of Fenric_** **, while the Animus appeared all the way back in the second season of the classic series in** ** _The Web Planet_** **.**

 **2\. Something mentioned in passing in the novel** ** _Conundrum_** **.**

 **3\. The pendant, indeed, proved vital to the Doctor defeating the Gods of Ragnarok, by reflecting their own attacks back at them. Segonax was the planet that the events of** ** _The Greatest Show in the Galaxy_** **took place on.**

 **4\. While this joke has been made more than a few times in real life, in the audio story** ** _The One Doctor_** **, conman Banto Zame tries to copy the appearance of the TARDIS based on verbal anecdotes (and a mistaken definition of a Police Box), and makes his own fake TARDIS…modelled on the appearance of a portaloo. I am not making this up, and it's a surprisingly good story, despite it being a very lighthearted, comedic one.**

 **5\. Kefka, of course, is channelling Moriarty in** ** _Sherlock: The Great Game_** **.**

 **6\. The Doctor and Jamie are talking about the events of** ** _The Two Doctors_** **.**

 **7\. I personally prefer the Dimensions version of the anagram, rather than the Dimension one. Why? It makes more sense, because the TARDIS would go through dimensions in space.**


End file.
